It was a celebration of high art and high technology as two forklifts swanned around Toronto's International Centre as part of the third annual Toyota Forklift Ballet last week.

As the National Post put it, there is a fine line between a ballet and a demolition derby when the "ballerinas" are driving machinery weighing a couple of metric tonnes and travelling at 15 kilometres an hour, very close to each other.

But, despite the risks, the ballet, described by organisers as a "light-hearted way of demonstrating the key benefits and features of modern lift trucks", was performed without a mishap.

The Toyota Forklift Ballet, currently touring Canada and the USA, traces its roots back to Japan, where it was developed to showcase forklift and operator ability.