Welcome!
I’ve been sewing and making costumes since 2004. My sister Sabrina was an enthusiastic costumer who taught me several basic skills. The resulting First Dress sent me down the path and the rest is history. As of 2015 I hold a Certificate in Apparel Design from the College of Alameda.
With a background in ballet, I’ve been a dancer (more or less) my entire life. I started in RAD at 6, trained with Sally Streets at Berkeley Ballet Theater and began performing with the company when I was 15. Ballet is still a part of my routine. But my real focus today is early dance. Thanks to the rise of remote learning in 2020, I study European court dance from the 15th-18th century with experts including Anna Mansbridge and Ken Pierce. In addition to early dance classes (and historic costume projects), I read period dance manuals, Beauchamp-Feuillet notation, and occasionally teach historic dance.
I put together this website when I first started costuming as a format for displaying and documenting projects. My mom offers a great deal of help by editing all of my writing. Most of the photos are taken by my husband Aaron DuBois (he also makes a great model). It is also my way of honoring Sabrina’s memory, her work and creative spirit.
Contact
historicalalterations at gmail.com (just change the “at” to an “@”)