This project reimagines Rusalka, the water spirit from Antonin Dvorak’s 1900 opera, by intertwining its themes of humanity versus nature with the haunting historical context of the Chernobyl disaster. The Slavic myth of the Rusalka, a spirit caught between worlds, finds new resonance in the Exclusion Zone, where human presence has faded, yet nature thrives in defiant resurgence. Drawing inspiration from Rusalka Week, an ancient Slavic ritual where straw dolls were adorned, cast away, and burned, the costume reflects this cyclical process of destruction and renewal. The costume effectively conveyed Rusalka’s deep connection to her natural environment during the performance. Her braids functioned as an extension of herself and an integral part of her world, seamlessly blending the character with her surroundings and reinforcing themes of mysticism and transformation.

Rusalka strips away her woven belt, sleeves, headpiece, and root-like braids to integrate into the human world, only to rediscover them in Act 3, when she embraces her true nature again. At its core, this interpretation speaks to the resilience of nature and the human spirit. The ‘Samosely’, those who returned to Chernobyl despite the risks, mirror Rusalka’s liminal existence in Act 3, refusing to relinquish their connection to the land. Their defiance against displacement, like plants and wildlife’s slow reclamation of the Zone, underscores an enduring bond between humanity and nature. Each component of Rusalka’s costume can be removed, transformed, and manipulated, allowing it to function as an individual presence and a part of the set design.

These portfolio pages from the Rusalka project present the development of initial concepts, research, materials, storyboards, and character designs. Alongside the completed costume, the project includes costume boards for four additional key characters from the 1900 opera: The Prince, Jezibaba, Vodnik, and the Naiads. The pages also document the evolution of movement and silhouette for the final costume, beginning with early maquette trials, offering insight into the creative and research-led process behind my interpretation of Antonín Dvořák’s Rusalka.