On April 8, 2015, guests attending the World Premiere performance Locomotor/Non Locomotor at Stephen Petronio Company’s benefit gala, will get to see costumes designed by American designer Narciso Rodriguez. Originally from New Jersey, Rodriguez was educated at Parsons The New School for Design. In 2005, he became the first American to win the Council of Fashion Designers of America Womenswear Designer of the Year Award two years in a row. Locomotor/Non Locomotor will also feature an original score by electronic pioneer Michael Volpe, better known as “Clams Casino” with some vocal elements from the Young People’s Chorus of New York City.
Wendy Whelan, a 30-year veteran of the New York City Ballet, will be in the audience on April 8. In a talk with Rodriguez at FIT last fall, Whelan described his stage wear as: “felt like rose petals on the skin. They felt so fragile but they lasted a good long time.” The meaning of non-locomotor, to move from a straight position into a curved position means the dancers need costumes that enhance their bodies but not distract from the dance. Narciso Rodriguez seems to have combined these needs perfectly. 