[中][ENG] 黃海真—用針線說故事 Betty Wong - Sewing Memory

舞跡可尋 In Search of a Dance Story 黃海真—用針線說故事 Betty Wong - Sewing Memory

黃海真 Betty Wong; 攝Photo: Wong Ching-kiu

舞者在舞台上演出，演出服裝貼著舞者身體隨之擺動。撇除舞姿，可能只要舞者穿起演出服裝站在台面，已經讓觀眾大概感受到編舞想要營造的意境。而一套舒適可靠的演出服裝亦令舞者在台上無憂地跳舞。過去十年，人稱Betty姨姨的黃海真一針一針為不少獨立舞蹈舞團和CCDC舞蹈中心的社區製作做演出服裝，輔助編舞和舞者在舞台上說故事。

Dancers perform on stage, and their costumes sway with the movements. Dance costumes, when they work well with the choreography, not only have the magic of conjuring a piece’s moods, but also give confidence to dancers and allow them to move on stage comfortably and without worry. Over the past decade, Betty Wong, who many call Aunt Betty, has hand stitched costumes for many projects by independent dance groups as well as community dance productions of City Contemporary Dance Company (CCDC); helping choreographers and dancers realize their stories on stage.

「這架衣車叫四線衣車，針織T裇閘骨一定要用四線，否則會爆呔。那邊的叫三線……」Betty姨姨在向我介紹她的工作室，說起她七十年代初學裁縫的時候：「我十多歲的時候就因興趣自學裁剪，經常看時裝雜誌找靈感，看到喜歡的款式便試試自己做。後來報讀當時非常盛行裁縫學校學裁剪，從畫紙樣學起、計呎吋、裁布、車衣……」談到如何接觸到舞蹈服裝製作，她說「其實都是偶然的機會」，原本她做裁縫，改衣做人身（即日常的衣著）。直至千禧年代，由朋友介紹到CCDC服裝部半職工作了數年，之後再經同事介紹下，開始接獨立舞團和CCDC舞蹈中心的演出服工作。

“This sewing machine is called four needle overlock [sewing] machine. We have to stitch up a T-shirt with a four thread overlock stitch, otherwise it will rip. The other one you see here is called three-thread…” Wong introduced me to her studio, while she told me stories of her learning to be a tailor in the early 1970s. “When I was a teen, I was very interested in tailoring and needlework. So, I often looked into fashion magazines to get inspirations. When I saw a style that I liked, I would try to remake it my own way. It was then very prevalent for tailoring schools to teach students how to pattern-cut, measure, and sew." Talking about how she became involved in the production of dance costumes, she said, “In fact, it was a chance encounter.” It wasn’t until the millennium when a friend introduced her to the CCDC wardrobe department, for which she has worked for several years, and then through introductions of colleagues, she began to take different commissions and worked with individual dance troupes and CCDC Dance Centre (CCDCDC).

Betty為CCDC舞蹈中心「舞蹈青年2007」改裝而成的中褸。The altered jacket for CCDCDC’s Wu Dao Qing Nian 2007.

攝Photo: Dicky Wong

她回憶2007年時第一次以獨立身份包辦一個演出服裝的製作，同事介紹她去接CCDC舞蹈中心的「舞蹈青年系列」的工作。起初，她因對舞蹈界的認識不多，又自覺不擅於溝通，還聽說擔任服裝設計的伍宇烈（Yuri）是要求高的藝術家，怕應付不來，正躊躇著要否要將工作推掉時，同事說Yuri打算只是用現成的西裝改裝，不用重新做：「改衫就不同啊，相比起要溝通設計、做法簡單得多！我就這樣接了第一單的Show。」改衫聽起來簡單，原來演出服的改裝也不簡單，「他好喜歡捲起的西裝袖捲起的效果，這裡釘幾針，那裡釘幾針，件西裝就變得很有層次感。孖襟西裝加大碼，再給胸圍大的舞者穿。試想想，西裝都改到變型，從西裝改裝成中褸。還有，他的設計需要把西裝袖拆掉，布就會披口，但Yuri不會介意，因為正他想要的效果。」當時她覺得好新鮮，原來做演出服裝也挺好玩，變化多端，「把布剪開，疊起再縫，改到『爛容容』都能穿！正常人不會穿一件爛衫啊。」憶起當時經過她仍是笑不攏口。

She recalls her first experience in 2007 as an independent costume maker when her colleagues referred her to CCDCDC to work with the youth program Wu Dao Qing Nian. At first, she was not that acquainted and had little understanding of the industry, also not a born communicator, she heard that costume designer Yuri Ng was a demanding artist; she was quite fearful that she would not be able to cope. Hesitating to reject the job opportunity, her colleagues told her that Ng planned just to alter a ready-made suit into a costume: “Clothing alteration is a different thing. Compared to communication and design, it is much simpler! So, I took up the opportunity, which became my debut.” But theater costume alteration is not as easy as it sounds. “Yuri likes the effect of the rolling up of the sleeve. By tacking and stitching a few bits here and there, the layering effect gave more volume to the original suit. Just imagine, he wanted to change the original suit to a jacket. Also, he wanted to have the suit sleeves removed, leaving the hem frayed. Yuri didn’t mind at all, because he wanted the effect.” She found the opportunity exciting, as it opened a new horizon to her and costume making can be fun and full of challenges. “Cutting the fabric and then sewing it back. Even though it looks a bit frayed, it can still be worn as a costume, which we don’t normally do.” She laughs as she recalls.

另一個令她特別深刻的製作是2013年的動藝的《尋找許仙》，「那次很特別，他們用上了價錢挺貴的布料做旗袍，不能一開始便用真布試身。加上，裁剪的款式並非一般的旗袍，需要設計師在舞者穿身時，親手在布上把裁剪線條畫上。那次我們就首先做一個『模』，試到合身了，設計師畫完之後，把那件『模』剪開，再拼起來。最後才正式用真布做，功夫不少。」說到旗袍，她強調旗袍的細緻度很高，工序特別繁複，她笑說那一次其實只是「頂硬上」。

Another of Wong’s memorable productions was Dance Art Dance Theatre’s In Search of Hui Sin in 2013. “It was a very special experience. The designer decided to use an expensive fabric for the Qipao. That meant that when we did the mock-up for fitting on the dancers, we could not use the actual fabric. In addition, we didn’t adopt the traditional pattern method to cut the Qipao costume. Instead, the designers drew it on the fabric draped on the dancers during the fitting. We first made a mould, onto which we fitted the dancers. The designer then drew the pattern according to the dancer’s body and required movements. We then cut it and put them together again to make the special pattern cuts for the Qipao costumes. The real fabrics were only used at the final stage when it came to making them. It took quite a bit of effort!” When it comes to a Qipao, it demands a lot of attention to details and the process can be very complicated, she laughs.

Betty在2013年為動藝《尋找許仙》（由何應豐編導）製作的白旗袍 The white Qipao for In Search of Hui Sin (Directed by Hoyingfung); 攝Photo: 阮漢威 Leocampo Yuen

相比以前做裁縫，做人身時看到自己做的衣服好合襯客人時會覺得滿足，但也不及做演出服裝帶來的滿足感和新鮮感。看到舞蹈員、小孩子都穿著自己製作的戲服跳舞，會從心而發地笑。

Compared to previous experiences as a tailor, it gives her great satisfaction and excitement to make a good theater costume that not only fits the performers’ bodies, but also serves the performance‘s purposes. Seeing dancers and children wear her costumes and clothes, her face breaks into a radiant and genuine smile.

「現在回望過去十多年，認識了不少舞蹈界的好朋友，一路走來都是順利。」對一個演出的印象，觀眾可能會記得一段舞或一個舞台效果。但對於服裝製作的Betty姨姨，把設計師和編舞想要說的故事實現的過程，就是她對每支舞蹈的點滴記憶。

“Looking back on the past ten years, working in the performing arts industry has allowed me to know a lot of dancer friends from the dance community. Since I changed my career direction, my path has been smooth.” It may be easy for audiences to remember a dance piece or a stage effect. But for Betty Wong, who is responsible for costume production, designers and choreographers’s narration and their realization process is her memory of the production.