The Curious Case of the Missing Dancers

There is something so beautiful about a dancer. I mean, the way they can let go and lose themselves to a melody...

When I watch a dance performance, I am mesmerized by the way dancers express themselves and become vulnerable.

And I...I'm their biggest fan.

My name is Mr. Spinster. But this story isn't about me, it's about my dancers.

So, where do I begin...

Oh right, yes, so I was watching a ballet performance of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake", and I was absolutely mesmerized by the performance.

I was completely seduced by the Black Swan...

She had the perfect mixture of sweetness and darkness.

I just wished all the dancers were like the Black Swan. But hey, I could only dream...

Or could I?...

What if there was a way I could transform these innocent, White Swans into Black Swans?...

At this point, all I needed were White Swans, and the rest I could handle.

One night, after the "Swan Lake" performance, I snuck into the backstage area. And I must say, I was quite well dressed that night.

So when the Swans walked past me, they were unaware I was an intruder. I probably even looked like I worked there.

As I slowly walked around the backstage area, one of the Swans approached me and asked me if I was lost.

"This was my opportunity", I thought to myself.

"I'm here looking to employ dancers for a new theatre performance, written by yours truly", I said to the White Swan.

As I shook her hand, she blushed...oh, how sweet she was.

She needed me. She needed me to awaken the Dark Swan within her.

She didn't say much after our brief exchange. She simply said "well good luck with your search, Sir", and ran off to another room.

But that wasn't the last time I saw her...

I watched where she ran off to. It was a dressing room for dancers.

I had no idea how I'd get away with entering a female-only dressing room. So instead, I did what any Gentleman would do...I knocked on the door.

One of the Swans answered, hiding, half-naked behind the door.

She looked puzzled and asked: "And...who are you?..."

"I see this may not be a good time, but I was hoping to leave my card with you. I'm looking for dancers, for a spectacular dance performance coming up this winter, and I'd love for you to pass the word around".

She snatched the card off me and gently slammed the door in my face.

But something about her curious eyes told me this wouldn't be the last time I'd hear from her.

And after an hour of leaving the theatre...my phone rings.

I answer, and hear a familiar voice on the other end...it's Swan #2. The one I handed my card to.

I called her Swan #2 because she was the second one I'd met. Swan #1, was the delicate beauty that had approached me first.

So Swan #2 begins to ask me questions about my new ballet production. I explained to her that the performance would be an alluring mixture of sweetness, and darkness.

She didn't need much convincing, and it seemed she was over the same old ballet performances. So without hesitation, she agreed to be part of my dance production.

I asked if there were any other dancers interested. She mentioned there was one girl, who had met me earlier that night.

"Ah, Swan #1", I thought to myself.

I told her I knew exactly who she was talking about.

"Anyone else interested?", I asked Swan #2.

"Well, there is one other dancer... I mean, she's new to the group, and doesn't have much experience...", she said.

"PERFECT!", I said. "I don't need an experienced dancer, I just need enthusiasm and an open mind".

So now, I had Swan #3 too.

It wasn't long till I met with the dancers. And I had hired out a fancy room for them to practice.

Oh, and I forgot to mention, I'm not a dancer myself. So I had to hire a professional teacher of course.

Her name was Zelda.

I briefed Zelda on what I wanted out of the performance.

She was madly creative, in all the right ways. So I gave her creative freedom. With my editing touches of course!

And after a few weeks of transforming my White Swans into Black Swans...it was time to sell the tickets. And with each ticket sold, the audience members would receive the following invitation:

It was the day of the performance.

And as each of the audience members arrived in the hall, I adored watching their confused faces, as they walked into a dimly lit hall, with only wooden chairs, leafless trees, and a suspicious package wrapped in brown paper.

This wasn't what they were expecting. But they sat down, and they waited...

Then...it was showtime.

The lights slowly dimmed into complete darkness.

Then...the stage suddenly lit up. And 3 Black Swans, emerged from the suspicious package wrapped in brown paper.

Created by Sandra Szubert on Canva

By the end, the audience was speechless.

I couldn't have asked for a better reaction. I was proud of my art piece.

Then...a few days later, it was reported that the Swans from my performance went missing...that same night.

I was devastated.

My beautiful, Black Swans were vulnerable, and I needed to find them.

After 41 days of looking for my Swans, I stopped trying to find them.

But I never forgot them.

One day, when I was on the brink of losing hope...I received a phone call.

It was Swan #1!!!!

"Oh, I knew she wouldn't let me down!!!", I thought to myself.

Without letting her speak much, I quickly asked if she and the other Swans were safe.

Swan #1 replied, in a slightly darker voice than usual, and said to me:

"We want to thank you, for introducing us to the dark side. Look inside your room tonight, and you will find a package wrapped in brown paper. Inside the box, you will find a clue on where to find us. Till we meet again, in a rather peculiar place..."

*hangs up*