How to Design a Dance Dress: An Interview with Oleksandra Basko
When I first meet with Oleksandra Basko to discuss the creation of a custom dress, I am prepared to discuss fabrics and colors and silhouettes. She catches me off guard, then, when she asks – “What do you want the effect of your dancing to be?” It’s both a straightforward question and a profound one; at the time, this meeting was a strictly academic exercise. I didn’t have a dance partner, and was mostly curious about the machinations behind Perlina Dance Designs, a venture which Oleksandra – Sasha – had started during the pandemic.
Sasha Basko models her own Perlina Dance dress during competition.
As a post-collegiate dancer, the topic of costumes had always been a touchy subject amongst my teammates; there is a constant tension between the glamour which is so characteristic of Dancesport and the expenses which necessitated more demure dancewear of the floor. However, the question which Sasha eagerly posed to me was asking something else entirely. “I want the dress to be an advantage, to show your movement,” she explains to me. “So it’s important to know their strengths, to know what they think their weaknesses are.” At the very least, I knew my starting point: the color green.
Here are some terms which might be helpful in understanding how a dress might be put together, though they might not all apply to either a standard or latin dress.
Bias – Refers to the crosswise direction of the fabric, a 45 degree diagonal which allows for the most stretch.
Bolt – Standard commercial display of fabric, where the yards are wrapped around a single core cylinder.
Bodice – Part of the garment which measures from the shoulder to the waistline.
Boning – Long, thin segments of plastic which offer structure to a garment, especially to create the shape of a corset.
Breathability – Refers to a quality of fabric which allows for the transport of water from one side of the fabric to the other; breathable fabrics include cotton, rayon, and polyester.
Drape – Refers to a quality of fabric which allows for fabric to hang in loose folds.
Finish – Manufacturing process which transforms a woven or knitted fabric into a usable material; includes dyeing, printing, bleaching, wrinkle-free, anti-static, and flocking.
Fiber – Most basic element of individual thread in fabric production.
Flocking – Refers to a kind of finish where decoration is produced by the application of small fibers; the end result is a design which is slightly raised and feels like velvet.
Grain – Refers to the direction that the individual fibers are woven in order to create the fabric; there is both crosswise grain and lengthwise grain, as well as bias grain.
Inseam – Part of the garment which measures from the inside leg seam at the crotch down to the bottom of the leg.
Interfacing – Fabric which reinforces or offers structure to the garment, usually between the external fashion fabric and the internal lining.
Lining – A thinner layer of fabric which protects the wearer of the garment from the construction seams, in addition to structuring the overall silhouette.
Notion – Small accessories or details which finish a garment, including buttons, zippers, hooks, elastic, and a variety of different trims.
Pleat – A stylistic design accent where the fabric is folded back on itself, which can be either aesthetic or structural
Seam – A line which marks where two pieces of fabric have been sewn together
Weave – Refers to a method of constructing non-stretch fabric with many threads which run either lengthwise (warp) or crosswise (weft)
Yardage – Standard commercial measurement for fabric in the United States; most fabric is sold by the yard, and quantities typically increase by the half yard.
Underskirt –
Sasha Basko models her own Perlina Dance dress during competition.
The COVID-19 pandemic served as a watershed moment for many dancers, whose income was jeopardized and whose careers were put on hold. Sasha had only just changed her status from professional to amateur in order to compete with her new partner, Jonathan Liu, at the onset of lockdown; what should have been an exciting new chapter in her dance career became, overnight, fraught with uncertainty. The result, however, was a creative spark. “I was teaching online, but I had a lot of free time,” she says, “and I had so many ideas in my head. So I just started to put it all on paper. I started to draw.”
It was Sasha’s partner Jonathan who encouraged her to connect with seamstress Yulia Ventus, whom Sasha had been working with for years, to bring her new designs to life. “I drew a couple sketches of practicewear and sent them to Yulia, and she was like, Yeah, sure, this is doable. And I started to realize, oh my God, how come I didn’t think of this before?” The first piece of dancewear officially produced by Perlina Dance Designs was a custom bodysuit called the Ciel, which featured billowing sleeves made of sheer Chrisanne Clover georgette.
Sasha originally hails from southeast Ukraine; it’s where her seamstress still lives and works. It’s also an area which was particularly affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. “In the beginning of the war, my city was bombed every other day,” Sasha explains, and the tone of our conversation shifts to solemnity. “I had to stop placing orders for a year, because I didn’t know whether it was safe, and I did not want to promise something that I couldn’t deliver.”
Amateur smooth dancer Crystal Song models a billowing blue dress, designed by Sasha.
Since the outbreak of the war, Sasha has not returned home to Ukraine; this separation was unbearable, she explains, despite an outpouring of support from the dance community. “You just don't know what's going on. But the people who live there, in the middle of all of these events…” It’s here that Sasha pauses; it’s important that she phrases this correctly. “They learn how to live with that. And Yulia told me, I'm so tired of the bombing, I'm so tired of the sirens. Let's just get back to work. Let's do something.” In the midst of the ongoing war, a new chapter of Perlina Dance Designs was born.
There are two main categories of fabric: stretch and non-stretch.
Stretch
Stretch fabric can be either two-way or four-way: four-way fabric stretches along both the crosswise and lengthwise grains of the weave, and offers the most stretch.
Lycra
Spandex
Crepe
Lace
Mesh or fishnet
Velvet
Non-stretch
Chiffon
Georgette
Organza
Tulle
Satin
Lamé
In New York, the garment district is home to a wide variety of wholesale fabric suppliers – the most famous of which is Mood Fabrics, as seen in Project Runway – as well as stores for trimmings and stores specifically dedicated to one type of fabric, such as Spandex House. There are also two large manufacturers for ballroom dance fabric: DSI and Chrisanne Clover.
This dress showcases Irina Kozlova’s trademark mixture of textures: black pleather and soft pink chiffon.
With Sasha as the brand’s artistic vision, Perlina Dance Designs is design-forward; her excitement is palpable, contagious, when I start to discuss the fabrics that I want to use for my dress. After our initial meeting, we begin putting together a collage of references as we send ideas back and forth on Instagram. A reference point for Sasha is the designer Irina Kozlova: “She was probably the first person who tried to take fashion into the ballroom world,” she says, referencing Kozlova’s unusual silhouettes and unexpected combinations of materials. “I still have a lot of ideas, being in New York City and being surrounded by all of these amazing fabrics. I’ll call Yulia and say, Hey, listen, like I just found this fabric, look at it. Obviously, she cannot touch it, but we have a lot of discussions in fabric stores.”
The development of Perlina’s design aesthetic is always evolving, and Sasha thrives when she has room to experiment. When I ask her how she might define her own growth as a designer, she emphasizes the usage of unconventional materials. “I'm very grateful for Yulia, for always being open to trying something new – her ability to work with fabrics that are not familiar to her, it’s incredible. Sometimes you have an unsuccessful attempt, but it's okay. Now you know, now you learn.”
For my own dress, I propose silk charmeuse; it’s a lightweight fabric which feels silky to the touch, but is not often used for ballroom dance dresses as it can be difficult to work with. Regardless, Basko is already furiously nodding and sketching, her pen making quick work of a slim fashion silhouette on her tablet.
There are several more elements of construction in addition to a dress’s main bodice and skirt, which are technically optional but can elevate your overall look.
Applique
Crinoline/horsehair
Floats
Godets
Trim
Stones
Appliqué
Amateur standard finalist Rickie Taylor-Dubovyk models a dress with bejeweled appliqué accenting red crepe.
Godets
This dress designed by Irina Kozlova illustrates godets, or wedges, which are often made of satin or pearl chiffon and add volume to the dress’s skirt.
Sasha’s first competition with her current partner, Jonathan Liu, was Big Apple Dance Challenge in 2019. Prior to their partnership, Sasha had danced pro-am with her students; Jonathan is a longtime member of the collegiate dance community and had been looking for a partner for years. BADC would serve as his triumphant return to competition, but also Sasha’s introduction to a whole new world of dance. “I will never forget our first competition,” she says. “How everyone accepted me into their arms, into their community. I really want to give back.”
This year, as both the reigning standard champion, Sasha has offered Perlina Dance Designs as a sponsor of the competition; finalists in Novice, Pre-Champ, and Championship categories will be given discounts on dresses, with Sasha hosting her own booth in Columbia University’s Lerner Hall.
In general, however, her ambitious design aesthetic compliments a lower-cost competition design; while an egregious amount of stones can contribute to overall price point, a unique silhouette can equally stand out on the floor. “One of my favorite dresses that I've made for myself did not cost me more than maybe $800,” Sasha explains. “It was super simple, it was straightforward, it was classic, it was elegant. A dress doesn’t have to break the bank.”