Accent • Emphasis placed on one or more elements of dance

From the high-necked Victorian gowns and tailored suiting worn by the three characters in the rollicking spoof The Set (2008), to the mask-like turtlenecks and heavy boots currently being constructed for the Spring Series, Ivanova’s costumes have worked in perfect concert with Lucas Crandall’s choreographic concepts. Through their close-knit creative relationship and enduring friendship, these two artists have developed the ability to move quickly and decisively through the many twists and turns of mounting an all-new production of dance theater.

Ivanova has become a sought-after collaborator and valuable asset to many guest choreographers at Hubbard Street as well. In 2015, she joined forces with Gustavo Ramírez Sansano to update and streamline the signature jacket and ribbon tie worn often by George Balanchine in 1950s New York, for I am Mister B, Ramírez Sansano’s exuberant homage to the great ballet choreographer. In 2006, Ivanova combined loose-fitting trousers with layered, form-fitting tops, realized in earth tones and deep purples for Bardo, Japanese choreographer Toru Shimazaki’s first Hubbard Street commission. The two reunited in 2008 for Shimazaki’s encore production Fold — an origami-inspired dance for two couples, set to “Plaisirs d’Amour” by French composer René Aubry.

Hubbard Street’s in-house choreographers and early-career dancemakers benefit greatly from easy access to Ivanova’s expertise. Among more than a dozen premieres, beginning in 2006 with Cheryl Mann’s Wabi Sabi and Diphthong by Brian Enos, are her designs for Out of Keeping (2015) by Penny Saunders — opening five of Hubbard Street’s domestic touring engagements this April — and Hubbard Street 2’s critically acclaimed collaboration for young audiences with shadow-puppetry company Manual Cinema, Mariko’s Magical Mix: A Dance Adventure.

We’re thrilled to celebrate Branimira Ivanova during our upcoming Spring Series — a perfect showcase for this local designer’s versatility, and talent for combining cutting-edge techniques in costume construction with a keen eye for traditional silhouettes and historical references.

Branimira Ivanova is a graduate of both the University of Connecticut (MFA, Costume Design) and of the International Academy of Design and Technology (BFA, Fashion Design). In 2009 and 2010, Ivanova received Jeff Award nominations for her work for Lifeline Theatre’s productions of Treasure Island and Wuthering Heights; her work for the Gift Theatre’s Cloud 9 received a Jeff Award for Best Costume Design (Equity Wing) in 2012. In 2007, Ivanova received a Certificate for Excellence in Theatre Design from the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, and her designs were included in the United States’ National Exhibit at the Prague Quadrennial World Stage Expo. In 2002, she received Fashion Group International’s “Design Your Future Award,” and the Driehaus Award for Fashion Excellence. Ivanova is also the founder of House of Idolatry Clothing.