Toe shoes, silk gowns, & a catwalk

Dance Magazine, Feb, 2007

Looking for people who can saunter gracefully down a runway in haute couture? Forget emaciated models; try perfectly poised ballet dancers. That is exactly what Canadian designer Justina McCaffrey did for her fall fashion show in New York City. An avid amateur dancer, McCaffrey hired professionals from The National Ballet of Canada (where she occasionally takes open classes) to show off her stunning wedding gowns (at right).

"The dresses," says McCaffrey, "capture the fluid lines and graceful movements of the art." Last June Karen Kain, grande dame of Canadian ballet and artistic director of NBC, donned one of McCaffrey's gowns at the Illuminata Ball, which celebrated NBC's move to the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. See wvw.justinamccaffrey.com.