Bata Shoe Museum: On Pointe - Gallery Tour

On Pointe captures the exacting and exquisite art of ballet through one of its most essential elements, the ballet shoe. With little more than their own strength and stamina, ballerinas rise on pointe and thrill their audiences with their skill and grace. The ability to rise on pointe is facilitated by the one tool used by dancers, the pointe shoe. However, the pointe shoe was not always an integral part of ballet. Over the past two centuries, it has evolved, allowing dancers to perform ever greater feats of athleticism and inspiring choreographers to push the boundaries of dance. Indeed, the pointe shoe has transformed the very discipline of ballet itself. The exhibition featured approximately 50 artifacts drawn from the Museum's private collection as well as historical and contemporary examples on loan from The Shoe Room, the principal supplier of pointe shoes in Canada. Watch this video of Curator Elizabeth Semmelhack speaking about the On Pointe exhibition.