TutuSchools Faculty

Our teachers, all top ballet industry designers, pattern-makers and technicians,will lead you step-by-step through the magical journey of creating beautiful professional-quality Classical and Romantic tutus, and other ballet costumes.

Our professional faculty has amassed years of knowledge working in top ballet costume shops and companies, with professional dancers and directors, and with IBC (International Ballet Competition), Prix de Lausanne, and YAGP (Youth America Grand Prix) competitors.

Our teachers and lecturers are all working professionals with clients ranging from New York City Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Moscow Ballet, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Houston Ballet, Gelsey Kirkland's Studio Company, Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on CBS, and other shows on Broadway and television, most recently Amazon Prime’s Etoile.

Claudia Folts

Claudia Folts is the founder and owner of Tutu.Com.  Ms. Folts has more than 45 years experience in the ballet world: onstage and backstage; as a student, performer and teacher; in the studio and the design shop; as a school owner and company director; and as a technician and author. A recognized authority on ballet costuming, Ms. Folts is in great demand as a technician and stage costumer. Her costumes appear everywhere from stages worldwide to TV/film to Cosmo, Vogue, and Teen Vogue magazines.

Ms. Folts is the author of an extensive series of ballet costuming books and patterns in use by professional, pre-professional and amateur costumers worldwide. Teaching ballet costuming continues to be a passion for Ms. Folts since she introduced the first tutu seminar in 1995. Interpreting the techniques of the master costumers of yesteryear with today's fabrics, technologies and choreography is her constant creative challenge.

Ms. Folts' tutus are commissioned for performance, film, television, print, and advertising, including: New York City Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet, American Ballet Theatre-II, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, San Francisco Ballet, Moscow Ballet, North Carolina Dance Theatre/ Charlotte Ballet, Charleston Ballet Theatre, Ballet San Jose, the USA-International Ballet Competition (USAIBC), Youth American Grand Prix (YAGP), Prix de Lausaune, 2011 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, ABC's Extreme Makeover Home Edition, Netflix Tiny Pretty Things series, and most recently Amazon Prime’s Etoile.
Catherine Zehr

Catherine Zehr, costume designer for New York-based touring company, Ballets with a Twist, joins us to teach some of her wonderful tiara-making techniques.

A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, with a degree in Fashion Design, Catherine spent ten years working in the fashion industry for several major companies before going into costume design. She brought with her excellent pattern-making skills, and an understanding of the importance of having costumes and headpieces support the dancer and choreography, not over-shadow them.

With twenty years’ experience as a costume designer, Catherine’s designs are elegant, enhancing both the dancer and the project. Her favorite part of the creative process, by far, is creating the headpieces. Aside from her original five tiara designs she brought with her to TutuSchool, “Odette,” a gorgeous, feathered, Swan Queen headpiece with a clip-on tiara; her “Royal” design, offered in a choice of two color combinations; her elegant, “Formal” tiara in crystal, pink and jet black; her passionate “Scheherazade” tiara offered in a choice of two color combinations; and, her whimsical “Fairy Tiara” in Karinska-inspired pink and green, Catherine has added several new, more complicated  designs, for those wishing to up their game. 
Lindsey Bruck
A talented seamstress, Lindsey Bruck finds great demand for her work. Tutu.Com is proud to have her on staff as a master stitcher. Ms. Bruck has been working professionally for more than twenty years in costuming. At North Carolina Dance Theatre, Ms. Bruck served as Wardrobe Supervisor/First Assistant. She works with I.A.T.S.E. Local 322, Charlotte Stage Hand Union in the wardrobe department in numerous Broadway touring productions and concerts. She dabbles as a seamstress in TV/Film, including HBO's Homeland (season 3 overhire); Max (2015 movie); and Outcast (TV pilot).
Summer Collins

Summer Collins is a valuable part of the Tutu.Com staff. The former Costume Director at North Carolina Dance Theatre, Ms. Collins adds her considerable ballet and costume experience to our shop as our Shop Manager. In addition to teaching upper level classes, Ms. Collins provides Tutu.Com clients with consultation services, whether questions are about patterns, fabrics or dancewear.

Ms. Collins' resume includes stints at Ballet Met, Columbus, Ohio; Houston Ballet; Opera Memphis; and contract work for Dayton Ballet; Florida Ballet; and Trey McIntyre Project.  Ms. Collins earned her BFA in Costume Design and Technology from Wright State University.
Elizabeth Ekey

Elizabeth Ekey started her tutu career taking classes at Tutu.Com’s TutuSchool in both Charlotte and New York while still an undergraduate at Marietta College in Ohio.

She continued with the advanced-level classes - Ribbon Candy Tutus, Russian Gored Romantics, the 19-Layer Faerie Tutu, as well as adding classes in leotards and stretch tutus.

Ms. Ekey has a Masters degree in Clothing and Textiles. She spent several years as a Special Lecturer at the University of Akron, teaching undergraduate classes in various sewing techniques.    

Elizabeth is the founding director of Tututheatre.com, where she continues to develop her tutu-making and design skills, as well as specializing in costume rentals and ready-to-wear. A much-loved teacher for Tutu.Com’s TutuSchool, her Costuming Fundamentals is a great class for those who aspire to cleaner, more elegant sewing skills. Elizabeth also works in Tutu.Com’s costume shop as a master stitcher.
Chris Takashima
A welcome addition to our teacher team, Chris Takashima has been a costumer for over 25 years focusing on dance and classical ballet costumes. She has worked with professional companies, Orlando Ballet, Eglevsky Ballet, Dance Alive National Ballet and others.

In 2017, she started building masks and working with thermoplastics. Her background in fine arts in college helped with the transition to mask making and working with the different mediums. Taking classes as well as learning through videos has inspired her to include this skill set as part of the options she offers through her company Much Ado Tutus. She enjoys teaching students about the many ways that thermoplastic can be used to enhance the different performances from Nutcracker masks to magic wands!

TUTUSCHOOLS FAQ

Who can attend TutuSchool Seminars?
  • Anyone interested in learning or advancing ballet costume-making skills—beginners, experienced stitchers, studio owners, and passionate ballet fans are all welcome.

  • No previous experience in costume making is required. TutuSchool is designed to accommodate all skill levels, from beginners to advanced creators. However, participants must already know how to sew both by machine and by hand. 

  • Each seminar provides the opportunity to work at your own pace, choose your own projects, and receive personalized support from instructors.

Because when you come to a class, the time is 100% yours – no dogs to walk, families to feed, neighbors to drop by and interrupt your process.

Our goal is that you leave us with costumes that are better than what you normally do at home. Our teachers will not let you skip steps, or avoid the tedious parts of the process, like proper pressing and cutting, and will teach you by not only showing you how they do it, but by helping you step-by-step. Our goal is not just to disseminate the information, but to help you with HOW to do things in the best way to create something beautiful and strong, and to answer all your questions as to WHY we do things the way we do in the order we do.

We promise to make it worth your while to spend your time with us. 

Tutu.com’s Shop literally makes tutus every single day.  We make more tutus than probably any shop out there, and by doing so we have come up with many new ways that enhance the time-honored traditions.

We are constantly innovating because when you repeat a process thousands of times, you know it so well that you have the luxury of improving on the techniques.

Although we do design, we consider ourselves to be technicians, engineering tutus and other ballet costumes to be strong and to last, in much the same way that an engineer realizes the designs of an architect.

Read our Faculty Bios.

Our teachers, all top ballet industry designers, pattern-makers and technicians, will lead you step-by-step through the magical journey of creating beautiful professional-quality Classical and Romantic tutus, and other ballet costumes.

Our professional faculty has amassed years of knowledge working in top ballet costume shops and companies, with professional dancers and directors, and with IBC (International Ballet Competition), Prix de Lausanne, and YAGP (Youth America Grand Prix) competitors.

Our teachers and lecturers are all working professionals with clients ranging from New York City Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Moscow Ballet, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Houston Ballet, Gelsey Kirkland's Studio Company, Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on CBS, and shows on Broadway and television.

Most of our courses have several options of project kits to choose from varying in style and complexity, therefore the cost depends on which "Project Kit" you select.

Cost for these kits INCLUDES expert instruction and individualize support throughout the seminar as well as fabrics, notions, and materials for your project. You’re welcome to shop online at Tutu.com ahead of time for additional materials or supplies or bring your own from home. We offer a special discount for seminar participants ahead of classes.

To learn more about project kits:

We have add-on options such as Tutu Marathon or Make Your Own Schedule to allow attendees who are experienced to complete courses at an accelerated pace.

Tutu Marathon - For those stitchers who are experienced enough to absorb and apply techniques quickly. These are two FULL, action-packed days – definitely not for beginners, or those who like to stitch slowly and savor the experience. You will receive the same instruction as in the Classical Performance Tutus class or the Stretch Tutus class, but at a faster pace (16 hours over two days - 9am to 5pm - instead of 24 hours over three days), the same choices, and the same designs as the other tutu classes except over a two-day session rather than three-day session. This allows marathon students to take additional classes, if they so desire. If you do happen to get behind, don’t worry - we have Free Time scheduled each evening, until 9pm. During this time, you can stay and catch up on your project. Be aware that there will not be a teacher available at that time, so be sure to write down any questions you have to ask during class the next day. Please read the descriptions under Classical Performance Tutus, or Stretch Tutus as it all applies to the marathon, the only difference being you will need to work at an accelerated pace. Advanced and Stylized Performance Tutus are not offered as marathon classes. This course optional add-on has no fee.

Make Your Own Schedule - For experienced stitchers who can take direction and then work independently. If you are not very experienced with dance costuming, and/or you are more comfortable with more hands-on attention, this will not be a good choice for you. Available classes for the Make Your Own schedule are all Tutus, Bodice One and Two, Dance Dresses, some of the Tiaras and Headpieces and Men’s Tunics Level One. There is a $100 fee for this optional add-on per course.

Please email claudia@tutu.com if you have any questions. We are happy to customize a schedule to meet your needs.

  • Your own sewing machine and basic sewing supplies.
  • View our online checklist so you know exactly what to pack.