📚 A Linha Curva — 6b.5
Costume
Designed by Itzik Galili · What it looks like · What it means · What it makes you feel
📚 What this page covers
- Describe the costume accurately — the vests, shorts, colours, collars and gender differences
- Link each design choice to the stimulus, intent and specific sections of the work
- Practise a full DLIE appreciation answer about costume
- Form your own interpretation — and consider more than one way of reading the design
6b.5.1 Description
Costume Designer: Itzik Galili
Galili designed the costume himself — the same person who choreographed the work and designed the lighting. All three were conceived together as one integrated creative system.
The Vest — worn two ways
Black mesh vest — men wear it open at the front (chest visible), women open at the back (spine visible). In the Showing Off section, the men turn their tops to be even more open — a deliberate act of display.
10 Carnival Colours
Tight-fitting wet-look Lycra shorts in 10 different carnival colours — one per dancer. The tight fit makes samba hip movement and leg work clearly visible. Each dancer is individually identifiable within the ensemble.
The Zip Stripe
Each vest has a brightly coloured zip stripe sewn at a different angle — no two vests identical. Even when all 28 dancers wear the same basic garment, the stripes create subtle individual distinctions.
Metallic Disc Collars
Male dancers only, at the very opening — metallic disc-shaped collars that catch and reflect the coloured grid lighting, creating a disco-ball effect. Removed as the work begins.
The 10 carnival colours — one per dancer
Hover each swatch to see the colour name. Every dancer wears a different colour — making them individually identifiable within the ensemble of 28.
Examiner's Eye — why black mesh matters for the lighting
The black mesh causes dancers to disappear completely in blackouts — black blends with the unlit stage. This enables the surprise effect: dancers reappear in new grid squares as if they have teleported. Because Galili designed both costume and lighting, the two were conceived as one integrated system — neither could work without the other.
6b.5.2 Appreciation DLIE Panel
Sample answer — Costume in A Linha Curva
D
Describe — what can you see?
The 28 dancers wear black mesh vests and tight-fitting wet-look Lycra shorts in 10 different carnival colours. Men wear the vest open at the front, women open at the back. Each vest has a brightly coloured zip stripe sewn at a different angle. At the opening, the male dancers also wear metallic disc-shaped collars. The costume is tight-fitting but non-restricting.
L
Link — how does it connect to intent or stimulus?
The 10 bright carnival colours directly link to the stimulus of Brazilian culture — the vibrant colours of the carnival parade. The black mesh links to the pre-programmed grid lighting, enabling the blackout surprise effect central to the work's structure. The tight fit supports the samba hip rolls and complex leg work, making the dance style visible. The male vests open at the front link to the competitive, showing-off intent of the narrative sections.
I
Interpret — what could it mean or symbolise?
The diagonal zip stripes on each vest could suggest carnival streamers thrown in the streets of Brazil — as if they have landed on the dancers and stuck there. The 10 different colours could symbolise the diversity and vibrancy of Brazilian culture — a celebration of individuality within the group. The men's open-fronted vests could represent the machismo culture and competitive nature depicted in the narrative sections.
E
Evaluate — what impact does it have on the audience?
This is effective because the explosion of 10 different bright colours immediately lifts the audience's mood and creates excitement before a single movement is performed. The blackout effect — dancers vanishing and reappearing in new positions — surprises and delights, keeping the audience visually engaged throughout. The combination of carnival colours and revealing costumes makes the audience feel transported to a Brazilian street party.
6b.5.3 💜 What Does the Costume Make You Think or Feel?
Your Personal Response
These prompts ask for your genuine reaction to the costume design. There are no wrong answers — but always anchor your response in something specific you can see. Read the context, tap to see model responses, then write your own.
1
The 10 Colours — Individuality Within the Collective
All 28 dancers wear essentially the same costume — black mesh vest, wet-look shorts. Yet every dancer's shorts are a different colour. From a distance, the 28 look like a uniform ensemble. Up close, every dancer is uniquely identifiable by their colour.
Does knowing each dancer has their own colour change how you watch the ensemble sections? Do you look for individuals within the group — or does the collective overwhelm them?
👁 Tap to see model responses
In my opinion…
In my opinion, the 10 different colours work best in the ensemble sections — each dancer's personal phrase was created through improvisation and named after them, and the individual colour reinforces this. Even when 28 bodies move in unison, the colours remind the audience they are watching 28 distinct people who each brought something of themselves to the work.
This could suggest…
From the audience's perspective, 28 different bright colours together create a single overwhelming visual impact — not 28 individuals, but one unified burst of carnival colour. This could suggest the work is ultimately about the collective. The colours celebrate diversity whilst simultaneously being absorbed into the spectacle of the group.
✍️ Now write your own response:
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2
The Revealing Design — The Open Vest
The men's vests are open at the front, revealing the chest and muscles. In the Showing Off section, they turn their tops to be even more open — an additional, deliberate act of display. The costume is designed to reveal the male body as part of the work's narrative.
How does the revealing nature of the costume affect your experience of the Showing Off and Battle sections? Does it feel celebratory, uncomfortable — or something else?
👁 Tap to see model responses
In my opinion…
In my opinion, the open front of the men's vests makes the Showing Off section feel more vulnerable than powerful. The men are literally exposing themselves to be judged — their bodies on display, protective covering removed. This could suggest that showing off is always a form of exposure, not just confidence. The bravado of the performance contains within it the risk of being seen and found lacking.
This could suggest…
Brazilian carnival costumes are traditionally revealing for all genders — carnival is a celebration of the body, joy and physicality. The men's open vests could simply be authentic to the cultural reference rather than a statement about masculinity. This could suggest the revealing design is about freedom — the body unashamed and at full expression — rather than competition or dominance.
✍️ Now write your own response:
💡 Copy into your ePortfolio — not saved automatically.6b.5.4 💜 Could the Costume Be Interpreted in More Than One Way?
More Than One Way of Seeing
Strong exam answers explore multiple interpretations. For each costume feature below, tap the readings — then write your own view.
1
〰️ The Diagonal Zip Stripes
Each vest has a brightly coloured zip stripe sewn at a different angle — no two vests are the same. The stripe cuts diagonally or horizontally across the chest or back, bright against the black mesh.
What do you think the zip stripes represent? Could they mean more than one thing?
💬 Tap to reveal interpretations
This could suggest…
The stripes at different angles could represent bright paper streamers thrown during the Brazilian carnival parade — as if the dancers have walked through the celebration and the streamers caught on them. This connects directly to the stimulus: the dancers carry the carnival on their bodies, and the work begins before a single step is taken.
In my opinion…
In my opinion, the varying angles represent each dancer's individual identity. Each phrase was created by and named after an individual dancer; the unique stripe is the visual equivalent of that. Even when 28 people move in unison, the stripes say: this is still a person, not just a body in a formation.
✍️ Which reading do you find most convincing?
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2
✨ The Metallic Disc Collars
At the very opening, the male dancers wear metallic disc-shaped collars that catch and reflect the coloured grid lighting. They are removed as the work begins — worn for the opening moments only.
Why might Galili have chosen to add the collars at the opening and then remove them? What could this gesture mean?
💬 Tap to reveal interpretations
This could suggest…
The collars worn only at the opening could represent a formal moment of arrival — the carnival has not yet begun. When they are removed, the celebration properly starts. This could suggest that even the most joyful events have a threshold — a moment of transition between the everyday and the extraordinary.
In my opinion…
The metallic discs scatter and reflect the coloured grid lighting across the stage — like a disco ball. In my opinion, this establishes the intent from the first second: this stage is a dance floor. Since Galili designed both costume and lighting, the discs feel deliberate — the men don't just stand in the light; they scatter it.
✍️ Which reading do you find most convincing?
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3
⬛ The Black Mesh — Disappearing in Blackouts
The black mesh vest causes dancers to disappear completely when the pre-programmed grid lighting creates a blackout. Black blends with the unlit stage — so when the lights shift, dancers vanish and reappear in new positions.
Is this just a clever technical trick — or could the idea of disappearing and reappearing mean something more in the context of the work?
💬 Tap to reveal interpretations
This could suggest…
The black mesh could be read as a wider commentary: within the collective celebration, individuals can vanish and reappear, unnoticed. This connects to the female solo in the Showing Off section — the woman present but unseen by the men. The costume makes her invisibility literal. The work contains both the spectacle of being seen and the experience of being overlooked.
In my opinion…
In my opinion, the most important point is the practical one: the black mesh is evidence that costume and lighting were designed together by the same person. This is structural, not symbolic. The costume serves the architecture of the work. The fact that one person controlled both decisions is what makes the effect possible at all.
✍️ Which reading do you find most convincing?
💡 Copy into your ePortfolio — not saved automatically.📌 Revisit This — Key Points
Designer
Itzik Galili — also designed the lighting. Both conceived as one integrated system.
The vest
Black mesh. Men open at front, women open at back. Men turn tops in Showing Off section.
The shorts
Wet-look Lycra in 10 carnival colours. Tight-fitting but non-restricting. One colour per dancer.
Zip stripe
Each vest has a brightly coloured zip stripe at a different angle — no two vests identical.
Collars
Metallic disc-shaped collars at the opening only (men). Reflect the light — disco-ball effect.
Blackout function
Black mesh blends with unlit stage → dancers vanish completely and reappear in new grid squares.
6b.5.5 Revision Check
✍️ Revision Check
10 questions — description, link, interpret and evaluate. Answer all, then submit.
1. Who designed the costumes for A Linha Curva?
2. How many different carnival colours are used in the shorts?
3. How do men and women wear the vest differently?
4. What do men wear at the very opening of the work, and what effect does this create?
5. Why is the black mesh vest important for the lighting design?
6. What happens to the men's vests in the Showing Off section?
7. What could the zip stripes on each vest symbolise?
8. What could the 10 different colours symbolise?
9. Why is the fabric described as "tight-fitting but non-restricting"?
10. Why is it significant that Galili designed both the costume AND the lighting?
Take a screenshot of your score and paste it into your ePortfolio so your teacher can see your progress.