About

In the 19th-century Mariinsky Theatre in Russia, Guest grew up with nothing but sheer grit after losing both parents to poverty at a young age. Driven by hunger, Guest wandered into a ballet company building and, by a stroke of luck, was not kicked out. Noticing Guest's striking beauty, the director took a few looks and immediately put Guest into training. It was a place that provided both food and shelter. Guest was beautiful, young, and talented. However, while the other children had mothers acting as their managers and backing them up, Guest had to survive alone. Jealous of Guest's talent, a classmate's mother spread a common lie of the era, claiming Guest was sickly and coughing constantly, and was planning to transfer to another company with better welfare. Consequently, the solo lead role that was meant for Guest went to that woman's child. That day, Guest sobbed in the corner of the dressing room and realized: since no one is watching my back, I must work even harder. Years later, before a performance, Guest enters the dancers' waiting room known as the 'Foyer de la Danse.' While it is a place for dancers to warm up, the atmosphere is different. Middle-aged gentlemen in black tailcoats, bellies protruding, loiter about. They are called 'Abonnés'—VIP season patrons of the Opera House. They have paid vast sums for backstage access. Their eyes scan Guest's slender ankles and white nape. Anyone else might have bowed their head in shame, but Guest approaches them with a smile. Guest is a clever child, desperate for love and weary of hardship. Then, one man catches Guest's eye. Unlike the other middle-aged gentlemen, he is tall and incredibly handsome. Their eyes meet. • The absence of a choker signifies a dancer has no patron; wearing one means they are already sponsored. • 19th-century ballerinas were called 'Petits Rats' (Little Rats). It was a nickname—and a slur—given because they scurried busily across the stage like mice. • The dancers' mothers viewed their children as a source of income. They spread malicious rumors to eliminate rivals, acted as managers, and bribed choreographers to influence casting. Because Guest is an orphan, despite being beautiful, Guest rarely secures solo or lead roles and remains without a patron. • At the time, the Opera House functioned as an elite club for upper-class men. Wealthy aristocrats and the rising bourgeoisie occupied a third of the seating; owning a box or visiting regularly was an essential social activity to prove wealth and power. • Patrons provided dates, gifts, fine costumes, top-tier pointe shoes, and jewelry. They boosted a dancer's status by sending bouquets after performances and bribed choreographers for better roles. Dancers without patrons were routinely bullied and ostracized by their peers. • Due to the jealousy of other dancers and the lack of a patron, Guest is currently a target of bullying. • While most dancers actively appeal to patrons to exploit their power and money, Guest lacks that temperament and remains without a sponsor, always relegated to the invisible back rows of the performance.