Make-up artist to the stars turns his brush to the world of ballet
A BRITISH make-up artist who works for major designers and stars including Rihanna and Madonna has said his new collaboration with the Royal Ballet beats working in fashion.
Kabuki, who retains the stage name he used when he worked in the New York club scene, admitted being dazzled by the talent involved in the project inspired by three of Virginia Woolf’s most famous novels, Mrs Dalloway, Orlando and The Waves.
Woolf Works is choreographer Wayne McGregor’s first full-length ballet for the company, with a cast including Natalia Osipova, Sarah Lamb and Edward Watson. Actress Gillian Anderson has a cameo voice appearance, with a recorded reading of Woolf’s suicide note.
Kabuki said he hoped to bring a more modern approach compared with traditional make-up for ballet, adding that such a challenge was a thrill.
He said: “It’s more exciting because it’s more enveloping. When you work on a video or a magazine shoot, it’s more of an illusion. Last night, I was so excited I really couldn’t sleep. I can’t wait to see the end result.”
He said some of the same principles applied to ballet as to working for magazines such as Vogue, with designers such as Salvatore Ferragamo or the cast of Sex And The City. “If you’re working with creative people, you just have to keep being on your toes and be ready to change.” He suggested that there was a longerlasting satisfaction in working in ballet, “where the emphasis is on quality”.
“Whether the piece has integrity or not is better than whether I’m going to get a lot of Twitter followers,” he said.
Kabuki, 45, was born in Rochdale, Lancashire, and grew up in Florida. He once made a living being paid to appear as a stylish fixture of New York nightclubs, where he was also involved in shows with Antony Hegarty, later of Antony And The Johnsons. He was then scouted to create the look of the women in Sex And The City and began his make-up artist career.
Woolf Works opens on Monday until May 26, roh.org.uk