The stage adaptation of Ballet Shoes features many memorable and creative moments. For our written work, we need to be able to use these key moments to justify our thoughts. Here are some moments in the play that blend dramatic storytelling with inventive staging and choreography:

Audience Participation: Before the main show begins, cast members in tutus move through the auditorium, teaching the audience basic ballet moves and setting a lively, immersive tone 

Lecture: Gum gives a lecture on the new science of exploring for fossils. This gives a clear sense of the historical period with the science of paleontology being shown as a new and developing concept.

The Ship: Simple but highly effective staging is shown when Gum sets off on his first voyage. Huge canvas sheets are flown in onto the stage to represent the sails of the ship Gum is sailing on. The sails billow above him, one behind the other. The sails are lit with green and blue light and images of moving water are projected onto the sails to further enhance the sense of him being at sea. 

Adoption: Sylvia arriving at the house for the first time. Gum is her uncle and he reluctantly adopts her. As he heads out on his expeditions he is then quickly put in the position of having to adopt three more children.

Puppetry: On his second voyage, Gum climbs a tall stepladder with a rope to represent his mountain climbing adventure in search of 'wooly mammoths'. A puppeteer sits at the top of the ladder with a shaggy puppet of a mountain goat which watches Gum  warily as he climbs.  

Family: As Sylvia holds baby Posey she tells it she knows what it's like to be abandoned. She tells the baby that not only will it be safe with her, it will thrive. This reinforces the the theme of support from a family who love you, even if they are not related to you by blood.

The Playground Fight: The three Fossil girls are at school, the scene is established through movement showing the playground with all of the characters in the same school uniform. Following a disagreement between the girls, Pauline fights to defend her sister Petrova. This moment begins a group slow-motion scene involving outstanding use of conventions, facial expression and physical and stylised movement skill from all performers on the stage. 

The Power of Theatre: As Pauline is practicing lines for 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', Dr Jakes comes and invites her into the room to talk about Shakespeare and the worder of his words and writing.

Dr Jakes' Family. Dr Jakes reveals to Pauline that she did not get on with her own family, but she 'found' family in the form of her wonderful relationship with her partner. She shared her life with a Maths professor from the university where she taught English. Dr Jakes explains that as lesbians (during the historical period of the play's setting) they could not marry, and could not own their house jointly. Therefore when she lost the love of her life, she also lost her home at the same time.    

The Robot Fairies - Midsummer Night's Dream. An avant garde version of Shakespeare's play is being reheased with a robot donkey. It's 1920s version of a futuristic idea. The scene features 'mechanized' stylised movement and metal-effect 'art deco' costumes. 

Petrova achieves her dream of flight: During a Midsummer Night's Dream she is put into a harness and spreads her wings as a fairy. She is lifted off the ground and creates a moment of wonder as she gets to fly about the stage.  

Gums sends presents to the girls. They are excited when they believe the presents to be new, but when they understand that the gifts are for them as babies and were sent many years ago, they fear that Gum is dead. At this point we are reminded about the time it takes for a body to decay, the girls put this in the context of the time Gum has been missing.

Dreams take hard work: Posey meets Madame Fidolia for the first time: Posey knows that she is talented, but the meeting brings her back down to earth: "There's a fine line between confidence and impertinence".

Performance requires perseverance: Miss Dane arrives and speaks of dancing and performing. Posey is captivated by the idea of attending the academy to learn to dance. 

Madame Fedolia dies: Posey finds Madame dead, despite many moments when death and decay are mentioned, this is the one time when the characters have to face a real loss, rather than an imagined one. 

Family and resiliance: Sylvia comforts Pauline in the bathroom. The family are forced to break down the door, when Pauline is sacked from her role in Alice in Wonderland. In this moment we are reminded about the importance of family in providing a support network: even if the 'family' aren't related to us by blood. 

Madame Fidolia's Backstory: The demanding ballet teacher, reminisces about her past as a prima ballerina when her name was Katerina Federovsky. She speaks of  fleeing the Russian Revolution and the scene is shown by dramatic, fast-paced storytelling through dance. This moment deepens her character and adds an emotional layer to the otherwise cold and hard teacher.  

Realising your dreams: The culmination of Posey's character arc comes with her audition with a dance that showcases the skill she has achieved through a combination of Madame Fidolia's teaching, her own raw talent and lots of hard work and dedication. This leads her to achieve a place at a prestigious ballet academy in Paris.

Character Transformations: The actor playing Great Uncle Matthew (GUM) also plays the roles of Madame Fidolia, The Director Mr. Sholsky and Madame Manov, by playing these different roles, shifting seamlessly between very different characters a further layer of theatricality is added to the story.

Transformative Props: There are many moments in the play where simple props like chairs, suitcases, and sheets are spun around or used to transform into different settings, such as a car or a pirate ship.