How The Ballet Story Came To Be
This prelude story is not the ballet story, but it tells all about the
magical way this ballet came to be.
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his day, in this land, there stands a
beautiful but imperiled ancient forest. Yet,
its spirits dance as they have since time began.
So powerful is the forest's magic, common folk
say you can daily see the spirits' processions
just by gazing in their direction.
nce upon a time, the townspeople
and forest lived happily side by side. But
one dark year, the ivy withered and died
upon the great fence surrounding the beautiful
land. Those who guarded the ancient land had
decided to sell it to developers. Where before
there was joy, now townspeoples' eyes clouded
with tears as they passed the condemned forest.
The seller would not reconsider the decision.
The seller could no longer see nor feel the
spirits of the ancient land.
One moonlit night, the spirits assembled.
To save themselves, they would have to be
seen and felt once again. A wise Hamadryad
intoned, "Our current stewards have forgotten
how to see us. Even though we are the givers
of human solace and inspiration, many have
lost sight of this. A dark force has acted upon
their vision. As creatures of the ether, we
cannot know the nature of this evil, but we
must overpower it." The Hamadryad paused;
then, in low notes, gravely spoke again,
"There is still a place where we can be seen
and felt by all people: It is within their art!"
The spirits deliberated long into the night.
By morning a plan was laid out.
Because the stewards answered to the
of their own culture, classical art would convey
the spirits' message.
They would get help from the place where time
has no bounds.
For music, they went to the great composer
Ludwig van Beethoven, whose profound
reverence for nature, and sympathy
for the spirits, could induce the most
earthbound of human souls to soar. They
moved him to compose a work for ballet
in the guise of a creation story. But its true
purpose would not be envisioned for nearly
two hundred years. Through the great
composer, the spirits encoded the music with
the story of their 20th century plight, so that
those who could save them would see and
feel them once again.
he spirits kept the work intact for
By the mid 20th century, the spirits began
sending a general call to all earth's young
people, and by the late 20th century, a
renewed interest in classical art had begun
to surge. Near the enchanted forest, an
unusual number of children grew up to
become involved in the arts. Still more
artists moved in. Painters began to frequent
the forest. Composers, poets and dancers
created works inspired by the land. There
were many earnest souls who were drawn
to the spirits' beauty.
As the hour grew desperate, a painter
had grown up by the wood heard their call.
All the pieces fell into place. While painting
about the spirits' land, the artist heard the
music and the encoded story was uncovered.
But time grows short.
The found story that so urgently needs
telling has yet to be given its visible
form. Will those who could save the
spirits finally see and feel them again?
How this tale ends
still waits to be seen...