"Because there are no words, it is very high concept," says Ballet Memphis wardrobe supervisor and costume designer Bruce Bui of the costume design for ballets. Each show’s costumes and concept are created by the designer and choreographer for that show only and not to be used for any other show. 

Yesterday afternoon there was a costume parade for Wizard of Oz, so Bruce was getting the costumes ready. He was preparing the order of the costumes for the show, which is like putting a puzzle together as some dancers share and he has to make sure there is enough time for changes. Thanks to a gift from the Plough Foundation, Ballet Memphis expanded to create a new costume shop last year, which has been more than helpful to Bruce and his team. 

Also housed in the new storage facility are all the dancers' shoes, which Bruce orders far in advance as they are custom-made for each dancer.