Staging Celia Franca

January 14–February 21, 2026
Student Gallery
Guest Curator: Sofia Beraldo

Celia Franca’s (1921–2007) legacy and iconic facial silhouette are impossible to avoid when roaming the National Ballet of Canada (NBoC) and Canada’s National Ballet School both based in Toronto. Born and raised in London, England, Franca moved to Canada at the age of 29 to found the NBC in 1951. She served as the institution’s first Artistic Director, a post she held for 24 years. Franca and her signature look—thin drawn on eyebrows, pale face makeup, and red lipstick with her hair either in two braids or tied back in a chignon—became a personification of the company itself.

Franca’s decision to have a signature look was no accident and required dedicated upkeep. Born as Celia Franks to a working-class family of Polish Jewish immigrants in east-end London, Franca undoubtedly understood how to use dress and her status as a ballet dancer as tools for upward mobility. Although influenced by patrons who could purchase and wear couture, Canadian writer Carol Bishop-Gwyn noted: “She dressed in the garb of a Rosedale matron,” Franca had her own sense of style heavily influenced by her involvement in ballet.

Through archival images from The National Ballet of Canada’s Archive and Dance Collection Danse, this exhibition lifts the curtain on Franca’s off-stage wardrobe from 1951–1959. During this period, Franca was at the helm of the NBC as Artistic Director and, simultaneously served as a dancer by necessity while the NBC was in its infancy. Her dual role was reflected in her wardrobe, as she retained balletic influences—with the help of Christian Dior’s ‘New Look’ silhouette—yet cleverly used her clothing to separate herself from the rest of the NBC’s dancers.

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Opening Reception
January 14, 2026
6–8 pm