Jennifer Irwin’s career spans 35 years designing costumes for drama, opera, film and, in particular, for dance and ballet. Jennifer designs regularly for all of the major Performing Arts Australian companies. Jennifer has been a long-term collaborator with Stephen Page. Her dance credits include: 35 commissions for the Sydney Dance Company, 26 years of repertoire for Bangarra Dance Theatre, the Australian Ballet, Singapore Dance Theatre, Royal New Zealand Ballet and West Australian Ballet.

 

Jennifer has also designed extensively for the Sydney Theatre Company, Belvoir Theatre Company, The Melbourne Theatre Company and Opera Australia. Jennifer has also designed some of the largest scale spectacular productions ever staged in Australia, including: THE ‘AWAKENING’ – the Indigenous segment of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games opening ceremony; co-designed all the costumes for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games closing ceremony; the official commemorative ceremony marking the Centenary of Australian Federation and the Olympic Arts Festival of the Dreaming Opening Ceremony.

 

In 2004 Jennifer designed the sensational International Box office success ‘DIRTY DANCING’ the musical still being performed globally. Film costume cutting credits include: THE MATRIX; MISSION IMPOSSIBLE II; RED PLANET; LOOKING FOR NATALIE WOOD; STRICTLY BALLROOM and ROMEO AND JULIET. In 1984, she was awarded a Theatre Board Grant to study at La Scala Opera, Milan, Italy. In 2001, she was awarded a Centenary Medal for service to the community and has had multiple Green Room & Helpmann Award nominations. In 2015 she is nominated for ‘Service to Dance’ at the Australian Dance Awards.