A peak behind the scenes of Amelia Nommensen’s dance, “Upwelling” and the Edge of the Ocean Textile costumes she created with her collaborator, Claire Calalo Berry.

Choreographer, filmmaker, and naturalist, Amelia Nommensen, created the costumes and choreographed and performed this piece in collaboration with choreogrpaher, dancer, and sewist Claire Calalo Berry. Their duet, entitled, Upwelling, performed at California Academy of Sciences in January 2025. Amelia and Claire sewed their amazing costumes with Edge of the Ocean Textile swim knit.

Upwelling is an ocean-inspired dance performance with a deep sea soundtrack. Using blue/green lighting, acapella singing, and modern dance, this performance creates an immersive experience connecting audiences with the sensations of the ocean.

Take a look at this amazing behind the scenes process of these multitalented women!

Amelia chose Edge of the Ocean Textile for the costumes. It has a band of sand along on one selvage.

Claire runs a high school dance department and has access to a costume department to use the sewing machines.

Most impressively, Amelia had never sewn before.

Claire and Amelia decided to pair the Caramiya Maui Tate Tank Top pattern for the top with the Paper Theory Zadie Jumpsuit pattern for the legs to make a stretchy jumpsuit with the swim knit. This hack is quite impressive for any sewist but especially mind blowing for Amelia, a first time sewist. The used the dance studio floor to cut and lay it all out.