NEW YORK – Backstage at the David H. Koch Theater here last week, red devils and modernist clowns intermingled off stage right, as dancers of the New York City Ballet ran through a dress rehearsal for the company’s Fashion Gala.
The annual event — set to mark its seventh iteration on Thursday evening — assigns fashion designers and choreographers the team objective of creating a new work that’s innovative in both its movement and visual appeal.
Demonic flamenco dancers are the invention of Gareth Pugh, the London-based designer, who has created costumes for a new piece by choreographer Matthew Neenan.
Monochromatic excess was conceptualized by Giles Deacon, a mad-hatter of London’s fashion scene who currently presents his collections as part of Paris Couture week. His costume designs — a fleet of kicky Renaissance court jesters — will accompany dancers in a new work choreographed by Kyle Abraham.
Flotsam chiffon dresses by Italian designer Alberta Ferretti will also whisk across the stage — hers to join a new work by Gianna Reisen.
The NYCB will dance these new pieces one week into a fall season that began mired in controversy. Following sexual misconduct allegations by a former student, City Ballet terminated two male principal dancers and
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