Tutu Artists Studio Podcast

Is your costume schedule actually full—or does it just feel full? 👀🧵

In this episode of the Tutu Artists Studio Podcast, we’re talking workflow and the systems that keep costume projects moving. We discuss how to determine your true availability, allocate time for specific builds, organize materials and tasks, and keep invoices and project details from getting lost in the shuffle.

Because great costumes take creativity—but great workflow makes them possible! ✂️✨

🎧 Tune in and rethink the way you manage your costume-making time.

Every unforgettable costume begins with an idea.

In this episode of the Tutu Artists Studio Podcast, Casey, Emma, and Michelle explore the creative journey that transforms an initial concept into a finished costume ready for the stage. Whether inspiration starts with a hand-sketched rendering, a digital illustration, or an AI-generated image, every design must eventually make the leap from imagination to reality.

The hosts discuss how costume concepts are developed, refined, and communicated before the first piece of fabric is ever cut. They share how designers balance artistic vision with the practical realities of movement, construction, durability, budget, and production timelines.

Throughout the conversation, they examine the evolving role of AI in costume design, discussing both its advantages and its limitations. AI can quickly generate inspiration, explore color palettes, and visualize ideas, but it cannot replace the technical expertise required to engineer garments that fit dancers, withstand rehearsals and performances, and bring choreography to life.

Listeners will also hear about:

• How designers communicate ideas through sketches, renderings, mood boards, and digital tools.
• The similarities and differences between traditional hand-rendered designs and AI-generated concepts.
• Questions costume shops ask before construction begins.
• How practical considerations influence artistic decisions throughout the design process.

Whether you're a costume maker, designer, dance educator, or simply fascinated by the artistry behind performance costumes, this episode offers an inside look at the creative process that turns inspiration into wearable art.

Join us as we explore how every costume begins with a vision—and how creativity, craftsmanship, and collaboration transform that vision into something audiences will remember long after the curtain falls.

Listen, subscribe, and share with fellow costume professionals and dance enthusiasts!

What does it really take to costume an entire corps de ballet?

In this episode of Tutu Artists Studio, Michelle and Casey take listeners behind the scenes of large-volume costume builds, sharing the planning, organization, and creative problem-solving required to produce costumes for an entire cast. Whether you're creating 3 costumes or 30, the process requires careful preparation, efficient workflows, and flexibility when unexpected challenges arise.

Whether you're a professional costume maker, an aspiring tutu artist, a dance educator, or someone who loves learning what happens behind the curtain, this episode offers practical insights into one of the biggest undertakings in costume production.

Thank you for listening to Tutu Artists Studio. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a fellow costume maker or dance professional. Your support helps us continue bringing conversations from the world of ballet costume design to listeners around the globe.

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In this episode of Tutu Artists Studio, we’re having an honest conversation about burnout in the costume world—how it happens, the warning signs we ignored, and the changes we’re making to build a healthier and more sustainable business.

Working in dance costumes is deeply rewarding, but it can also be demanding. Tight deadlines, production seasons, emotional investment in every piece, and the pressure to deliver perfection can leave even the most passionate makers feeling exhausted.

In this episode, we talk about what burnout looked like for us and how it led to an important shift in the way we approach our work, our schedules, and our boundaries.

We also discuss how redefining success, setting clearer expectations with clients, and prioritizing wellbeing can actually strengthen both creativity and business longevity.

This conversation is for anyone in the dance costume community who has ever felt overwhelmed, overbooked, or unsure how to keep going without sacrificing their health or love for the craft

Michelle, Casey, and Emma sit down to discuss the end of the year 2025. They share about their Nutcracker seasons as well as the lessons that they have learned this year. Join us as we wrap up a successful year and share how we have grown.

The Tutu Artists’ Studio Podcast is back with an inspiring conversation you won’t want to miss!

This episode, we sit down with Arielle Di Leo, Founder & CEO of Loop Costumes — the dedicated resale marketplace changing the way dancers, families, studios, and designers buy and sell performance costumes across Canada & the U.S. 💃♻️

Arielle grew up as a dancer and experienced first-hand how much love, time, and investment go into every costume… only for so many to be tucked away after just a few uses. Loop Costumes is transforming that cycle into something more affordable, sustainable, and community-driven, giving these beautifully crafted pieces a second life. ✨

Ever wonder how a cat-loving Canadian mom with an art degree and a bookkeeping side hustle ended up creating breathtaking tutus worn by dancers from Ontario to Taiwan?

This week on the Tutu Artists Studio Podcast, we sit down with the ever-talented Michelle Weatherdon Fountain, the creative force behind Pas de Chat Costumes. 

From her home studio (where her four cats double as “pattern weights”), Michelle shares how she transitioned from dance teacher to costume designer for YAGP dancers and professionals alike—including the incredible story of building her daughter’s first tutu all the way to USA IBC!

 We talk stretch tutus, structure vs. spandex, working with velvet (the love/hate saga), and the beauty of trusting your maker.

This one’s for every dance mom, costume maker, and tutu-lover out there!  Listen in and share with a tutu artist who needs to hear Michelle’s story.

Dance Opens Doors… and Olivia Mason walked right through.
From childhood sewing sessions with her mom to designing for world-class stages, Olivia’s story is stitched with passion, resilience, and creativity. 

In this episode of the Tutu Artists Studio Podcast, we follow Olivia Mason’s inspiring path—from costuming high school musicals to selling her first leotards in college, and eventually working on the world premiere of Sleeping Beauty at Pacific Northwest Ballet under the legendary Paul Tazewell’s designs. 

An unexpected injury could have closed the curtain on her dance journey—but instead, it opened the door to a flourishing career in costume design.

Listen in as Olivia shares her evolution from dancer to costume technician, to Draper—and the beauty of finding your calling where you least expect it.

Because sometimes…
Dance opens doors

In this episode, the Tutu Artists talk to Lauren Carmen. Lauren Carmen is a NYC-based costume designer with a twist! With roots as a professional ballet dancer and an MFA from NYU Tisch, Lauren infuses her designs with whimsy and beauty—whether for dance, opera, or film. Her work has graced stages from The Joyce Theater to Radio City and appeared in Tribeca films. When not designing, she teaches at Marymount Manhattan College and Pace University, and occasionally graces the stage in ballet productions. 

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