Opera’s Post

What happens when a beauty brand and French luxury house share the same heartbeat? 🩰 As part of a personal project, I imagined a collaboration between r.e.m. beauty by Ariana Grande and Repetto Paris. Heres how the idea came to life 🩰 ✨ 🎯 My vision was simple: bring together two brands that dont usually meet, but already speak the same language. I wanted to show that strength can be found in softness, and that beauty, like dance, is a form of self-expression.While digging into each brands DNA, one word kept coming back: "movement". 🩰 Repetto was born in the demanding, poetic world of dance, built on grace and precision of gesture. r.e.m. beauty is driven by creativity, self-expression and the artists who inspire it. Two different worlds, one shared passion with how we move and express ourselves. r.e.m. beauty launched a limited-edition holiday collection inspired by the elegance and artistry of ballet. For me, it was a revelation: the bridge between the two brands was already there, and I crossed it. 🤩 That's how the "Balance Edition" was born. The name reflects the balance between softness and strength, between beauty and dance. Its a holiday collaboration told in two stories, "La vie en rose" and "Misty Blue" . The Mélange à trois, r.e.m. beautys iconic blush-highlighter, where shades swirl into one another like a river in motion. Movement you can see. In Misty Blue, it gets a pH-adapting formula, so the color moves with you too. The Camille ballet flat, one of Repettos most iconic models. Movement you can wear, made tangible with every step.One captures movement, the other carries it. Together, they find their balance. Swipe through to discover the full concept. What brand pairing would you love to see next? #Branding #Marketing #Communication #CreativeStrategy #LuxuryMarketing #Portfolio #OTBproject

The most expensive thing at Frieze might be playing it safe. Safe names. Safe purchases. Art that tells everyone you have taste without making anyone question it.As an artist, I find that uncomfortable. Art needs room to offend, seduce, confuse and challenge. That’s difficult when everyone wants something brave enough to talk about but safe enough to resell. This Frieze week, I keep coming back to one question:How much of what we call “good taste” is simply permission from someone with more money? A gallery backs it. A collector buys it. A price becomes a headline. Suddenly, everyone can explain why it matters.But would you still want the work without the name? Without the waiting list? Without the possibility of telling someone what you paid? I’m Endless. My work exists in the friction between art, luxury, celebrity and consumer culture. I’m part of that conversation and part of the contradiction. I want people to buy art. Artists deserve to make money. But I want the work to get under your skin before its price gets into your head.If your collection never makes you uncomfortable, perhaps you’re collecting approval.Would you buy a work you loved if nobody important agreed with you? #Frieze #Endless #ContemporaryArt

A new book co-edited by a researcher and lecturer at the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures provides the first major study dedicated to costume making in the United Kingdom, documenting generations of hidden expertise while warning that the sector and its skills face an uncertain future. Published by Yale University Press, 'Craft and Illusion: 250 Years of Costume Making in Britain', is co-edited by Dr Jade Halbert, Lecturer in Design Studies at the University of Leeds' School of Design, and Dr Veronica Isaac at the University of Brighton. The book takes readers backstage and into the hidden world of the workroom to record the complex tactile skill, oral traditions, and physical labour involved in creating performance costumes across British theatre, opera, and film. Dr Halbert and Dr Isaac highlight how the physical expertise of makers has been overlooked in both academic literature and cultural archives. “The making of costume for performance has always been – and remains – a behind-the-scenes activity. Because of this, the intensity of the costume maker’s labour, the breadth of their specialist skills and the quality of their craftsmanship often go unrecognised. Making is also, of course, a tactile practice, rarely recorded in writing but reliant instead on both formal and informal oral and visual transmission of knowledge, inextricably linked to the knowledge and understanding gained through touch and held in the hand. “Craft and Illusion illuminates the realities of costume making: the time, tools and expertise it demands, the pressure makers face, and the challenges of rendering two-dimensional designs into magnificent and robust three-dimensional life. Costumes are powerful: they enchant, they dazzle and they hold us spellbound. Their makers deserve recognition and appreciation.” Despite the industry's rich heritage, Dr Halbert and Dr Isaac emphasise that post-pandemic restructuring, rising production costs, and production moving overseas threaten the survival of these specialised skills. The publication calls for greater institutional recognition, fair pay, and formal archiving to protect the UK's costume-making workforce. “The future is unclear,” they argue. “Audiences have changed, productions have changed, the world has changed. In order to secure its survival, our attitude to costume making has to change too. We must recognise and acknowledge its status as one of our most significant, long-standing and irreplaceable creative production sectors." 'Craft and Illusion: 250 Years of Costume Making in Britain' (Yale University Press) will be published on 27 October 2026. This will be followed by a launch event at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden in November. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eqUCgXZd

When choreography is clear but the performance still feels unfinished, judges usually notice the missing details first. The dancer may know the counts. The spacing may be clean. The routine may be solid on paper. But if the energy doesn’t travel all the way through the body, if the transitions feel soft, or if the movement stops at the shape instead of finishing the line, the piece can read as undercooked. That’s the part many dancers miss. They think clarity alone is enough. Judges are looking for completion. They want to see intention in every transition, control in every landing, and confidence that carries through the full phrase. They notice whether the dancer is performing the choreography or just getting through it. A routine can be technically correct and still feel incomplete if: - the facials don’t match the movement quality - the arms arrive late or leave early - the turns, jumps, and extensions don’t finish fully - the dancer protects the step instead of committing to it That’s why judge-level feedback matters. It catches the small things that change the whole impression. A cleaner finish. Stronger stage presence. More attack in the movement. Those details don’t just make choreography look better. They make the performance feel ready. If you want a second set of eyes on your piece, book a session. https://lnkd.in/eFKCK_4Q

Just Dance Los Angeles: Decades of Hits launches with 35 songs and an AI-free, human-crafted approach; costume designer says "It's our art" The game's Paris and Shanghai studios produce roughly 100 costumes per installment, with each character taking two to three weeks to design and four weeks to produce. Choreography Director Estelle Manas says the team choreographed a map featuring five coaches for the first time, highlighting the franchise's push for choreographic diversity. Verified by 3 sources, incl. XBOX Wire & Variety. Read our full breakdown with all 43 citations ↓ Read the full analysis: https://lnkd.in/ghWaaYTa

Maintaining artistic integrity and authenticity while navigating the industry is a critical challenge. The key lies in not compromising your unique vision or the street knowledge that informs your work. True artistry thrives when you stay true to your voice, even when external labels or pressures arise. How do you balance commercial demands with your core creative principles? #ArtisticIntegrity #CreativeProcess #Authenticity #IndustryChallenges #ArtistMindset

When technology stops being a spectacle and becomes an extension of human emotion and space, art truly comes alive. What strikes me most isn’t the sheer technical precision, but how the dancers and the orchestra harness that cold, mechanical discipline to amplify pure physical tension and raw vulnerability. The tech provides the architecture and constraints; the human spirit brings the pulse. This is what "Art X Technology" should look like at its peak Never letting the machinery overshadow the craft, but allowing it to quietly elevate what makes us deeply human. FORZ

"One of the first times I feel truly seen as an artist." That's how lighting designer Colleen Doherty describes receiving a 2026 1/52 1/52 Project Grant, and it stayed with us. The 1/52 Project supports early-career theatrical designers from historically excluded groups at the moment support matters most. Colleen's work on Machinal (New York Theatre Company at MTC Stage II) and Violet (Manhattan School of Music at The Riverside Theatre) shows why she was chosen: light that shapes how the story is told. Being seen early can change the course of a career. So we're curious: for those of you working in lighting and production, what made the difference when you were starting out? A mentor, a first real shot, a grant like this one? Congratulations, Colleen. We can't wait to see what you light next! Credits in the carousel. Photography: Margaret Hall. #LightingDesign #TheatreLighting #LiveProduction #TheatreDesign #152Project

Is the routine truly stage-ready? A polished routine can still feel unfinished to a judge. The spacing may be clean. The counts may be correct. The choreography may look strong in rehearsal. And still, something feels off. Usually, it’s because the routine is performing the steps, but not yet fully performing the moment. That’s a real difference. Judges notice when a dancer is technically prepared but hasn’t locked in the final layer: clarity, intention, projection, and the kind of confidence that makes the whole piece land. That’s why a routine can look “good” in the studio and still leave a judge wanting more. A few common signs: - transitions that happen, but don’t connect - facials that arrive late or disappear under pressure - energy that drops between highlights - technique that’s there, but not fully committed through the finish This is where objective feedback matters. In a session or VIP critique, the goal isn’t to tear the routine apart. It’s to identify what’s already working, then tighten the details that make it read as performance-ready instead of almost-there. That might mean refining the attack in a turn sequence, cleaning up the finish of a phrase, or adjusting the way the dancer uses the music so the audience feels the performance, not just sees the choreography. For dancers, that kind of feedback builds confidence. For parents, it brings reassurance. For studios, it keeps the training sharp. And for the routine itself, it can be the difference between polished and complete. If you want judge-level clarity on what your piece is really saying, book a free consult. https://lnkd.in/eFKCK_4Q

Why?! It's one of the most important questions you can ask as a creative! #art #create #creative #artist #arttip #arttips #creativeflair