Interviews on Kristian Fredrikson
A close collaborator to Graeme Murphy and Janet Vernon all the way from their early days, Kristian Fredrikson had a prodigious talent in designing costumes and sets for the stage. His work was acclaimed for its sumptuous, jewel-like quality, and a sensuous level of detail, which was obvious to all who worked with him, including The Australian Ballet’s Wardrobe Production Manager, Michael Williams.
Videos Tabs: 1) a glimpse inside The Australian Ballet’s wardrobe dpt making Kristian Coppélia’s costumes
2) Royal New Zealand Ballet’s Wardrobe Manager Andrew Pfeiffer discuss Kristian Fredrikson’s costumes for Coppélia
Hear also the AUDIO INTERVIEW (focussing on Dance) between Michelle Potter and Kristian Fredrikson (1993) in Sydney for the National Library of Australia
“First of all, can I just say that I think you’ve got to love dance and somewhere inside your soul or mind, or whatever it is that one has, you’ve got to be a dancer and also a choreographer. You’ll never express those in reality, in real terms, but there’s got to be a certain sense of frustration at not being those things, so therefore you can react- your body muscles react to a dancer and to a choreographic movement, so that when you’re beginning to design for those people, you know what’s happening.”Kristian Fredrikson
Going To Bendigo, Victoria in The Next Six Weeks? (April 29th, 2023)
Two of Kristian’s beautiful costumes designed for Dame Joan Sutherland are exhibited in the foyer of The Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo, during The Melbourne Opera’s six week season of Richard Wagner’s Der Ring Des Nibelungen (Ring Cycle). The costumes are from The Australian Performing Arts Collection who have many designs and costumes by Kristian Fredrikson in their collection. On display are two costumes from The Australian Opera (now, Opera Australia) productions, Lucrezia Borgia 1977, and The Merry Widow 1978.