Rosa Ana Chanza completed her professional dance education in Spain and enjoyed a long and fulfilling career as a soloist in several major European dance companies. She has since become a professional costume designer and regularly creates costumes for numerous renowned choreographers in dance companies such as Theater Dortmund, State Opera Hannover, Theater Hagen, Tiroler Landestheater, State Theater Augsburg, Aaltotheater Essen, and the Opéra National du Capitole de Toulouse, among many others.
Rosa Ana Chanza has also designed for several fashion editorials as well as the 3D dance documentary film Dortmund Tanzt and its stage version.
Rosa Ana Chanza: Throughout my career, I managed to stay healthy, so it was not a question of being forced to stop due to injury or anything - it was voluntary. I was thirty-nine years and eleven months old, and I had already promised myself that regardless of how healthy or successful I was, I was going to move on. I felt it was important to move on while I was still young enough to start something new because I think adapting to new things gets more difficult as we age. Also, I must admit that I wanted my audience to miss me, rather than feeling it was time for me to step down. So considering all these factors, I made my decision.
Rosa Ana: My interest in aesthetics started early on. I grew up in a small town where my mother and her sister ran a clothing boutique. After school, I would go there and spend my time playing with the things they had there. So I was surrounded by clothes, by people coming in, trying them on - I absorbed this. I developed not only an interest in aesthetics but also an awareness of how important self-presentation is.
Rosa Ana: Not at first, but I do remember going to costume fittings where the designer would ask if I had any suggestions, which I did, and they appreciated my input.
Initially, while I was still dancing, I was able to try out whether being a rehearsal director might be something for me, but I came to the realisation that it probably wasn’t the right choice for my future.
Then a colleague in Ballett Dortmund got the chance to choreograph, and he asked me if I could do the costumes. Normally, one would need to use some existing items in theatre storage or buy new garments, but I ran up to the costume department and asked for help in creating the costumes, which they agreed to. So I was given this chance, and my costumes ended up getting great reviews. That sort of opened the door for me.
Although I don't dance anymore, I like to think my costumes dance for me.
Rosa Ana: The main thing is that as a costume designer, you need to work around the concept or theme. Of course, fashion designers also develop themes for their runway shows, but with my work, each project I undertake involves the choreographer providing the narrative or theme, whether it's for a story ballet or an abstract ballet conveying a message. So, the difference lies there - I need to adapt my designs to a specific story or perhaps a certain character and ensure it's understandable. This challenge is extremely exciting to me. That, I feel, is the main distinction. Plus, as you pointed out, we need to be able to move in the costumes.
Rosa Ana: Yes, a lot. As a former dancer who performed various styles, I can close my eyes and visualise how a design or a specific fabric will react to the movement. I know what will enhance the choreography. I can recognise that designing for neoclassical work is different from designing for contemporary dance. For example, I can put myself in the dancers’ place and see if a costume will slide well on the floor or if it’s going to get in the dancers’ way.
I also aim to create something that I would like to wear. However, I firmly believe that my costumes should never overshadow the choreography. The purpose is not for me to present myself - the dance should always come first, and my designs should complement it. So although I don't dance anymore, I like to think my costumes dance for me.
Rosa Ana: Generally, I have a lot of freedom. Of course, some choreographers have suggestions that are important to the story, which I have to respect. We discuss these ideas and I also provide my feedback. I must say, I usually receive a lot of trust from them, which helps me develop my ideas.
Rosa Ana: I don’t have a design degree. My first opportunity was, as I said, for my colleague’s piece in Dortmund. I received positive feedback from the newspaper as it was on the big stage. This was a sign for me. I told myself to go for it. I started collaborating with dancers and photographers - on Sunday mornings, I would dress one of the dancers and the photographers would shoot the look. These weren't really costumes, but rather some ideas and details to showcase my style, as I hadn’t yet collected enough work to show people.
As for my learning process, I began studying drawing on paper, which was quite difficult, but it did the job of helping others understand my ideas when I visited the costume department. I later switched to digital design, using an iPad with a fantastic program. This was so helpful, as I could do the same thing but without so much paper; I could easily add and remove layers to see if the design looked better. However, I also had to teach myself how to use this program. It's not photoshopping, it's drawing, just in a different, more convenient way.
Rosa Ana: It's the ability to imagine the fabrics and how they adjust to movements in various styles. I come from a generation where I had to be versatile. I trained as a ballet dancer, but it was also a time when dance companies were branching out into different styles. So I had the chance to experience these new kinds of movements - often, I must say, in costumes that did not feel very good. This made me realise that knowing what you don't want is as important as knowing what you do want. For example, dancing in costumes that couldn't be washed was not ideal. So identifying what you don't want helps narrow down the choices and makes decision-making a bit easier.
Rosa Ana: Yes, they do. It's funny because sometimes during the initial fitting in the costume department, everything tends to be too big or too long, and I assure them it will be corrected. They say, "Don't worry, we trust you." This trust comes from having worked together before and being familiar with the process. I find it very nice when they say they wish they could wear my costumes outside work; they ask why I don’t start my own brand! This is always very rewarding. When we all feel good with the process, that's when I know I've achieved what I wanted.
Rosa Ana: It's difficult to explain, but I will try to give you an example from my life as a dancer: I was never aiming for technical perfection. Of course, I knew I had to learn and master the technique and skills, but I never wanted it to overshadow my uniqueness. Sometimes, you have to be flexible and let go of perfection if it compromises your special side.
I think this is also what motivates me in terms of my costumes. I aim to achieve something that doesn’t need to be perfect, but it needs to be special. This motivation works for me because while I am very disciplined and I work very hard on the technical aspects, I think what made me successful was that I believed in my individuality.
Rosa Ana: Sure, I did. But I think once I opened this door and discovered costume design, I was very stubborn and very focused. I really wanted to do something that used my dance background without feeling any self-pity about not being on stage anymore. I was able to transform myself, in a way. Also, I told myself that if I had already achieved something so difficult, I could do this.
I also think that because I’m a mother, I went through some tough things in life which gave me some perspective. Raising a family, you don’t tend to over-dramatise the rest of your life. So of course I had some questions and doubts, but I think once it all started moving, I just needed to be patient.
What dancers need to realise is that they are incredibly focused beings. They’re focused because they have to be, and they’re trained to concentrate on one task. We repeat the same exercises over and over again every day. We take on big responsibilities, which means we need to be disciplined. We also have a lot of teamwork experience; the ability to be in a room and deal with many other people comes naturally to dancers.
I believe dancers can do anything. Once they’ve chosen a path and identified what interests them (which may be the most difficult part), the rest just involves staying as hard-working and focused as they were before. I’ve never seen a dancer who failed in what they chose.
So of course I had doubts, but I think once you have some key information, you just need to go and believe it.
No matter the challenges, my advice is to stay focused, look for new experiences, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Rosa Ana: I think it depends on the company. Many years ago, I worked with a bigger company where the director really helped the dancers a lot. For instance, those considering a career as rehearsal directors were given the chance to teach once a week.
I also think it’s important to give dancers the chance to choreograph, and not just because of the dancing itself; for example, by putting on a choreographic program, a dancer might also discover an interest in costumes, photography, design, or film.
I've seen dancers who were completing their studies and were granted time off to travel for their exams or seminars. This flexibility may not be possible in smaller companies due to the need for every dancer. However, I think there’s always a “window”, even if it’s small, to give dancers some help. I think it’s very important.
Rosa Ana: Dancers are focused people who should not worry once they find the right path. They can do almost anything with discipline and teamwork. Also, don’t be afraid to ask someone about it; I’ve received a few phone calls from dancers who I worked with as a costume designer who were thinking about going in this direction, asking me for advice because of course it’s scary.
Sometimes, dancers can be afraid of what lies outside the dance world. Becoming a “normal” person can be difficult for us due to our unique schedules and lifestyles. We often don't get enough contact with people outside our profession to see how they live and work. Dancers are nomads, moving from town to town, which is challenging. I always say that regardless of age, dancers stay children - we start our careers at a very young age and it can all become very insular as that’s all we know. We need to be aware of life’s possibilities after dance. But no matter the challenges, my advice is to stay focused, look for new experiences, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Top image by Christian Bohnenkamp
