Today were the final fittings of the Nutracker and Mouse King masks, and thankfully all was finished by the end of the session to be handed over with the first performances on Friday!
There were a few modifications to be made - in the last fitting, the Mouse King mask was loose and had been slipping, then when immobile the chin strap had been digging in the dancers throat. For todays fitting I brought elastic to replace the inflexible chin straps, and then when the mask proved less immobile I added a small over head strap in black to the very front of the top of the head. This added stability to the mask when performing the routine and meant the performer was more comfortable.
The Nutcracker mask was actually perfect the way it was. I left the top of the helmet mesh instead of covering it with the gauze so that the dancers head wouldn't get too hot, as particularly under stage lights I know that when you're wearing a mask the top of your head can get very hot and it helps to have ventilation
I found that mix of acrylic paint and glue recommended on the websites that I checked did work well but required multiple layers - though applying the paint to large areas of the mesh was a lot more difficult and required a lot more layers!
Making the chain from braid was actually a lot easier then anticipated, though quite fiddly and time consuming. I used very small pieces of gold gaffer tape to secure the 'links' in place, then used a glue gun to secure the braid to the mask. I usually avoid using a glue gun unless absolutely necessary but in this case, with the varaform being a plastic, the glue effectively being a plastic, it fused the braid to the helmet nicely. For the gold ball on top of the helmet, I found the best way to acomplish this without making the mask more top heavy at the front was actually by using a polystyrene ball, and a mix of gold acrylic and glue to paint it.
I found that mix of acrylic paint and glue recommended on the websites that I checked did work well but required multiple layers - though applying the paint to large areas of the mesh was a lot more difficult and required a lot more layers!
Making the chain from braid was actually a lot easier then anticipated, though quite fiddly and time consuming. I used very small pieces of gold gaffer tape to secure the 'links' in place, then used a glue gun to secure the braid to the mask. I usually avoid using a glue gun unless absolutely necessary but in this case, with the varaform being a plastic, the glue effectively being a plastic, it fused the braid to the helmet nicely. For the gold ball on top of the helmet, I found the best way to acomplish this without making the mask more top heavy at the front was actually by using a polystyrene ball, and a mix of gold acrylic and glue to paint it.
Now that the masks are finished and the performers have them, everything is on track for the first performances this Saturday and Sunday opening at the Electric Theatre in Guildford. For more information on the performances see the company's website http://www.lets-all-dance.co.uk/nutcracker/
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