Short Story |The Ballet Dancer Who Chose Passion Over Family

中文版在此

Inside a small apartment in London, the walls are covered with many photos and posters of ballet performances.

An elderly, slender man named Alexander, once one of Russia’s greatest ballet dancers, wore reading glasses as he looked at the yellowed photos one by one. The photos captured the glorious moments he had in his past, those moments that left the audience breathless, critics applauding, and his peers admiring him.

Those days when he shone on stage were still vivid in his mind: the prince in 《Swan Lake》 torn between two beautiful black and white beauties, the young aristocrat in 《Giselle》 who betrayed the maiden, the poor barber in 《Don Quixote》… On stage, he spun and leaped with dazzling technique, as if he had boundless energy and no gravity to hold him down.

Occasionally, he also thought of the people and events that did not appear in the photos — he remembered the woman he once loved, who was also a ballet dancer and had followed him to perform everywhere. But she gave up her career and dreams when she had their son. She said that she was willing to give up being an artist to be a good mother and wife.

Alexander understood her decision because he also faced the same choice.

He did not stay with her and their son but continued to pursue his position and fame in the ballet world. He believed that he should not give up the talent and mission that God gave him.

So, on an opportunity to perform abroad, when the ballet troupe was boarding the plane back to Moscow from Paris, he refused to board and applied for political asylum. He succeeded! His technical skills and artistic talents allowed him to thrive in the free world and reached the pinnacle of his career.

But since then, he could no longer meet with his family. Alexander rarely contacted them, only occasionally sending gifts or postcards. Later, the packages he sent were returned, and he learned that they had moved away.

Many years later, one day, Alexander received a letter from his son in the United States. The letter said:

I know we haven’t been in touch for a long time, but I hope you can forgive my indifference. I don’t hate or resent you. I just feel like we have nothing to talk about.

But today I am writing this letter to invite you to come to America and meet my child — your only grandson. You may not know that I am married and have a child. I apologize for that.

My child is already fifteen years old and will start high school this September. You may be surprised to find out that my child also loves ballet! And very talented at it!

The letter included several photos of the grandson’s performance on stage. Alexander looked at the photos and felt a sense of familiarity. The young boy had eyes, nose, and mouth, postures, movements, and expressions that were extremely similar to Alexander’s. It was as if he saw a reflection of himself when he was young.The letter also said:

“Dad, I know you may not want to come to the United States or see us. You may feel like it’s an interference or disturbance to your life. But I sincerely hope you can come. I want you to meet my child and for him to meet you. I want you to get to know each other and share your passion and understanding of ballet.

Dad, if you are willing to come to the United States, I’ll take care of everything. I’ll buy the plane tickets, book a hotel (if you don’t want to stay with us), and plan the itinerary. If you don’t want to come to the United States, I won’t force you. But we really hope to see you!

Alexander put the letter down, feeling mixed emotions. He didn’t know how to respond to the letter. He wanted to see his grandson, but he also feared facing the price he paid for pursuing his dreams at the expense of his family. He wanted to rebuild his relationship with his son and grandson, but he also worried that he was too old and too distant to make up for past mistakes.

He wanted to regain his confidence and pass on his spirit, leaving his final mark in the ballet world, but he also knew he had little to teach young people anymore. After much hesitation, Alexander decided to accept his son’s invitation. He felt it was an opportunity given to him by God, perhaps his last chance.

He packed his luggage and boarded a flight to the United States. He was a little nervous and a little excited.

Upon arriving at Los Angeles airport, he was worried that he wouldn’t recognize his son after not seeing him for many years. However, his worries were unnecessary. As soon as he passed through customs, he recognized his son and grandson in the crowd — the same brown hair, the same emerald green eyes.

His son took him to his home where his daughter-in-law had prepared a hot dinner for them. The house was decorated in a comfortable and warm style with several family photos on the wall. He saw a photo of his wife when she was young but could not find any recent photos of her. He asked his son about his wife and his son whispered, “She’s not here.” Alexander thought that he would never see his wife again after being separated for many years, and his heart was filled with regret.

His grandson eagerly pulled him to his room. Alexander found that his grandson’s room was also filled with ballet photos and posters, some of which were Alexander’s own pictures from when he was young.

The grandson talked to Alexander about ballet. He wanted to work in classical ballet like Alexander. He fired a barrage of questions about ballet techniques, styles, performances, history, and other aspects, his eyes shining as he spoke. Alexander did his best to answer every question and gave his grandson some advice, encouraging him to continue working hard.

They invited him to stay with them, and the grandson even took Alexander to see his performance at the ballet school.

Alexander sat in the audience, watching his grandson gracefully spin, jump, and stretch on stage, as if he had returned to the past, to the happiest, most natural, and most vibrant moments of his life.

Alexander was moved to tears. When his grandson saw Alexander weeping, he immediately ran to his side after the curtain call, worried that he was not feeling well.

Alexander shook his head and hugged his grandson. He said he was very happy, felt very proud, and was also very grateful.

“I am happy to see my bloodline and talent continue. I am proud to have such a talented and passionate descendant who shines in the ballet world.”He said he was grateful to his son for giving him the opportunity to find his family and love again.

Alexander said to his son:

“Son, I know I have been unfair to you. I haven’t given you enough care and support. I only cared about my own dreams and career, ignoring your needs and feelings. I regret not being a good father. I hope you can forgive my mistakes.”

“But I also hope you can understand my choices. I love ballet, just like you love your job. Ballet is my life, my soul, and my faith. I am not dancing for fame or vanity, but to express myself, touch others, and serve God.”

“My ballet career has taught me diligence, perseverance, creativity, collaboration, respect, and many other good qualities; it has made me a better person. Ballet has also introduced me to many outstanding people. Among the most important is your mother. She is also a great ballerina with her own dreams and ideals.”

“She gave me the most precious gift — you. You are a blessing from God to me, and I am proud of you!”

After listening to Alexander’s words, the son’s eyes also turned red. He said:

“Dad, I forgive you. I know you love ballet just as much as I love my job in the news industry. After all these years, I have already forgiven you for abandoning me and my mother. I love my family, and it is the source of my life.”“My family also includes you. You are my father and my friend.”

Alexander asked his son to take him to his wife’s grave so that he could speak a few words to her.

When they arrived at the entrance of the cemetery, Alexander pointed to the pink roses on both sides and said to his son, “These were the flowers I proposed to your mother with. She didn’t like red roses because they were too flamboyant, but she loved pink roses. If only she were still here…” his voice trailing off.

At that moment, a woman’s voice came from behind, saying,“Alexander, you’ve finally come.”

Alexander was surprised to find that the woman was…

He thought his wife had already passed away!

His son and his family smiled at him. It turned out that his wife had not died, but had only wanted to play a joke on Alexander. In the days leading up to Alexander’s arrival, she had gone on a scheduled Alaska trip with her friends and was unable to meet him.

After Alexander left Russia, she started a new life. She became a lawyer and successfully helped many people who were treated unfairly. She also met a man who loved and respected her, and they had a daughter.

She lived about a half-hour drive away from her son’s home, and the two families often kept in touch. When she learned that Alexander was coming to Los Angeles, she happened to have a travel plan that coincided with his arrival date, so she and her son’s family decided to give Alexander a surprise.

Alexander gazed at the family before him, their smiles warm and welcoming. His heart ached with regret and sadness. He thought back to his past, to the sacrifices he had made for ballet. He had given up everything, including his wife and son, for his art.

He thought of his wife, who was beautiful and understanding, so loving and supportive. He thought of his son, who was only five years old at the time, so smart and adorable, and so eager for his father’s attention and love.

But he didn’t cherish them. He only focused on his dreams and career, ignoring these two most important people.

As a result, the once glorious career quietly disappeared after he retired, and the achievements he had pursued had become a memory that had been gradually fading from the audience’s mind. Now, he is still alone.

He realized that he had been chasing a dream that had left him alone and empty, and what he had easily given up on was actually standing in front of him many years later.

He longed for the love and warmth of his family, for the moments he had missed and the memories he would never have. His heart was heavy with the weight of his choices, and he knew that he could never go back and change them.

He realized that what he truly needed was not ballet, but a family and love.

The End.

Note: I am glad you got this far. 😊 This story is translated from my original piece in Traditional Chinese. The story might remind you of Rudolph Nureyev or Mikhail Baryshnikov, although they were both asylum seekers, they were not married when they defected from Russia.