Tcherkassky costume part of exhibit
Ishimoto died in 2010. While there is not a full-scale Ishimoto exhibit, the dress has become the centerpiece of a new “American Ballet” installation.
Ms. Sweeney chose three diverse costumes, all with back stories. The Ishimoto piece represented a designer who had lived in Japanese internment camps during World War II. Ms. Tcherkassky, of Japanese and Russian descent, was called “one of the greatest Giselles that American ballet has produced” by New York Times critic Anna Kisselgoff. Verdy, who played a major role in developing American ballet (including performances with PBT in its early days), wore hers at a White House performance.
The Smithsonian has been in contact with Ms. Copeland for several years. She wore her dress, complete with a tiara depicting the New York City skyline, for her limited Broadway run in “On the Town.” (The museum omitted the wig she used, purported to weigh 15 pounds, but it has her twopiece purple Under Armour outfit from the famed commercial “I Will What I Want” already tucked away.)
It turned out that Ms. Tcherkassky was the connection among the three dancers. She counts Verdy as “one of my big inspirations” and actually performed with the star as a student in the Eglevsky Ballet. And she also was backstage at The Met in New York when Ms. Copeland came up and introduced herself. She called the young principal “very sweet.”
Three costumes and four women were tapped to cover a wide swath of ballet history, perhaps foreseeing a new era. It took about 10 years to bring the project to fruition, Ms. Sweeney notes. “But after seeing the final product, it was worth it.”
“American Ballet” will be on view at The Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., in the Constitution Avenue lobby, first floor, until April 29.