Theresa Blake

rossetticouture@gmail.com

www.alternativebridalgowns.co.uk

With over 20 years experience in theatrical costume and couture bridalwear, Theresa is a flexible and multi-skilled freelance designer, couturier and costumier, familiar with working to strict deadlines in a professional environment. She specialises in tutu design, construction, and tutoring, together with designing period and theatrically-inspired “alternative” wedding attire to the highest couture standards.

Experience:

Rossetti - Owner
1998 - to date:

Self-Employed Couture Designer and Costumier.
Designer/Maker of “alternative” wedding gowns for own Rossetti label.

Theresa is a costume, headdress and tutu maker for individual competition dancers and for prestigious ballet companies.These have included: The Royal Ballet; Ballet West; All England Dance Competition; Genée International Ballet Competition; Youth America Grand Prix; Tanzolymp; Prix de Lausanne; English National Ballet; for television; local UK dance festivals; pre-vocational ballet-school productions and youth ballet companies e.g Harlow Ballet School, Cheshire Youth Ballet and Manx Ballet Company.

Freelance Tutu Maker - Royal Ballet
2017 -"Swan Lake" - (Naghdi, Osipova - MacFarlane 2018).

Freelance Tutu Maker - Royal Ballet
2016 -"The Nutcracker" - "Sugar Plum Fairies" (Hayward; Calvert).

Freelance Ballet Costume Maker - Royal Ballet
2016 -"La Fille Mal Gardée" - (Padjak; Whitehead).

Ladies Cutter/Maker-
2016 -"Wicked" (London); "Jamestown" (Naomi Battrick) - Sky TV; "Still Star Crossed" (film).

Freelance Tutu Maker - Ballet West
2015 -"Nutcracker" - "Sugar-Plum Fairy". (Sara-Maria Barton).

Freelance Ballet Costume Maker - Ballet West
2015 -"Romeo and Juliet" - Juliet: "Balcony scene" costume; Ballgown. (Sara-Maria Barton).

Freelance Classical Tutu Maker - International Competition Tutu
2015 -"Le Corsaire": 'Gulnare' solo. (Tale Lee-Turton: Bolshoi Ballet Academy).

Freelance Classical Tutu Maker - Royal Ballet
2014 -"Sleeping Beauty" - "Aurora" Tutus Acts I, II, III (Natalia Osipova; Akane Takada).

Freelance Designer/Tutu Maker - Youth America Grand Prix 2013/14
2013 -"Princess Florine": 'Bluebird' solo.

Freelance Designer/Costumier - Genée International Ballet Competition
2013 - Bronze medal winner, Natasha Watson (Ballet West).

Freelance Theatrical Costumier - Royal Ballet
2013 -"Symphony in C" - Tutu for Zenaida Yanowsky. Plate tutu skirts for Beatriz Stix-Brunell; Itziar Mendizabal.

Freelance Theatrical Costumier - Royal Ballet
2012 -"Swan Lake" - "Odile" new tutu skirt/plate, plus restoration of an existing costume (Marianella Nunez).

Freelance Designer/Costumier - Genée International Ballet Competition
2012 - Semi-finalist, Bella Swietlicki (Ballet West).

Freelance Theatrical Costumier - Royal Ballet
2011 - Royal Opera House Cinema Season: "Sleeping Beauty". Live showing worldwide, 15/12/12. (Lauren Cuthbertson)

Freelance Theatrical Costumier - Royal Ballet
2011 -"Sleeping Beauty" (Restyle/re-cut "Aurora" Acts I,II,III, for Lauren Cuthbertson, Tamara Rojo, Roberta Marquez, Sarah Lamb).

Freelance Theatrical Costumier - Royal Ballet & Royal Opera
2011 -"Jewels"; "La Traviata"; "Faust". (Revivals: Performance Support).

Freelance Theatrical Costumier - ALL3MEDIA (ITV)
2011 -"Midsomer Murders" ("Odette" and "Odile" tutus for Genevieve O'Reilly).

Freelance Theatrical Costumier - Royal Ballet
2011 -"Swan Lake" ("Odette" for Zenaida Yanowsky).
(2012 - Live broadcast: Royal Opera House Cinema Season 23/10/2012)

Freelance Theatrical Costumier - Royal Ballet
2010 -"Cinderella" (Costumes for Marianela Nunez, Beatrix Stix-Brunell, Akane Takada).

Freelance Theatrical Costumier - Royal Ballet
2010 -"Sylvia" (Costumes for Itziar Mendizabal, Akane Takada).

Freelance Theatrical Costumier - for Christine Manning
2010 -"Mary Poppins"
(designer Terry Parsons) Det Ny Teater, Copenhagen.

Couture Cutter/ Maker
1991-1998 Cocoa Designs, Cheltenham

Couture Cutter/ Maker - for designer Basia Zarzycka
1998

Assistant Cutter - Welsh National Opera
1998
"Billy Budd", "The Coronation of Poppea".

Couture cutter/ Maker - Bridal Rogue Gallery
1995 -1998

Royal Shakespeare Company - Ladies Production Wardrobe (employed)
1996 - 1998

“The Herbal Bed”, “As You Like it”, “Henry VIII”, “Hamlet”, “Henry V”, “The Learned Ladies”, “The White Devil”, “Troilus & Cressida”, “Little Eyolf”, "Camino Real".

[Costumes for: Diana Quick, Jane Lapotaire, Victoria Hamilton, Jane Gurnett, Derbhle Crotty, Martina Laird, Nina Sosanya, Niamh Cusack, Susannah York].

Headdresses and Jewellery - Scottish Ballet
1995      “Swan Lake” (Jasper Conran)

Headdresses and Jewellery - English National Ballet
1995      “Alice in Wonderland” (Sue Blane)

Headdresses and Jewellery - English National Ballet
1993      “Sleeping Beauty” (Farmer)

Maintenance Wardrobe Assistant and Supervisor of Costume Hire
1992      Swan Theatre, Worcester

Couture Cutter/ Maker
1991-1998      Cocoa Designs, Cheltenham

Couture Cutter/ Sample Gown Maker
1989 -1992      Ritva Westenius - Bridal Designer

Freelance Theatrical Costume Assistant/ Headdress/Jewellery Maker
1988 - [Working with Jean Gates, Sue Pearl, Jane Johnson, Linda Rowlands]

The Royal Ballet	“Rhapsody”
The Royal Ballet	“Cinderella” (Walker)
Ballgowns	“Les Misérables“, Vienna
Freelance “remakes”	“Les Misérables“, London
London Festival Ballet	“Swan Lake”, “Nutcracker”
Houston Ballet	“Nutcracker”
Sadlers Wells Royal Ballet	“Petrushka”
The Royal Opera	“Rigoletto”
Opera North	“Lucia di Lammermoor”
Moscow Classical Ballet	“Swan Lake”

Theatrical Assistant

1987	Morris Angels Costumiers	Ladies Department
	London Festival Ballet	“Sleeping Beauty” corps de ballet wigs
	Spoleto Festival	“Platée” (John Pascoe)

Qualifications:

1988     Higher National Diploma in Theatre Wardrobe, Wimbledon School of Art

1986     B/Tec Diploma in General Art and Design

1985     3 A’ Levels

1983     6 O’ Levels; 3 CSEs