From calluses to burnt shoes, the elegance of ballet is built from the ground up

Ballet is an art form that’s synonymous with beauty and grace. But, as every ballet dancer knows, at the foundation of every perfect plié or sauté is the tense intersection of feet, pointe shoes and the stage. In this short documentary from the Australian Ballet, three ballerinas explore why caring for their feet and pointe shoes is a crucial, yet often hidden, part of their art. With most of the documentary shot at foot height, the charming and tactile short captures how the sewing, cutting and burning of pointe shoes help the dancers’ meet the demands of their work. In doing so, the Australian-born, Berlin-based directors Lily Coates and Gavin Youngs, of the filmmaking duo the Apiary, illustrate how the elegance of ballet is built from a solid foundation of strength, craftsmanship and many, many calluses.