00:04Often unnoticed, the labour-intensive art of wig creation, a critical element in ballet.
00:09This one probably would have taken me about 80 hours.
00:14Rebecca Bank is one of the handful of professional wig makers in the country hand-knotting custom-made wigs from
00:20human hair.
00:21It is quite nice that it is often kind of a bit very in the background but can be such
00:27an important part to get the era right and the feel of the show right.
00:34This wig was actually made for Chihiro for the ballet.
00:38It's not just creating hair wigs but beards and goatees too that Rebecca has the challenge of making sure they
00:43stay secure during the performance but are simple enough to remove for quick changes.
00:47The main thing for us is that the dancers do have to feel confident when they're on stage so they
00:53can't feel like the wig is loose in any way.
00:56With scarce opportunities to study wig making in Australia, a new TAFE course, only made available this year in WA,
01:03has started training the next generation of wig makers.
01:07It's all designed for them to have these skills to go work in film, TV and theatre.
01:13Mustaches are made out of yak hair.
01:16It's a really niche skill being able to make wigs and I think now we've got the film studios, we've
01:23got lots more opportunities in WA.
01:26I think rather than getting people from over east I think it's a great thing that people are getting trained
01:31in our own like state.
01:33A pathway for those new to the craft to learn from the best in the business.
01:37I think this is the best way to look at the craft.
01:37I think it's a great thing you want to look at all this.
01:37It looks fabulous.
01:37Ah, it looks fabulous.
01:39Yeah.
01:39Yeah.
01:41Yeah.
01:41Yeah.
01:42Yeah.
01:42Yeah.
