Swan

UMasumi Hijiri, iqhawekazi lethu elisakhula, uyintombazane ejabule ehlala ezinduku eHokkaido. Uhlala nobaba wakhe, umqophi wemifanekiso, kepha ingqondo yakhe ihlale iku-ballet, futhi uphupha ngokuba ngumdansi omkhulu njengomama wakhe ongasekho. Kepha akulula ukutadisha i-ballet ngaphandle ekilasini elisemakhaya lapho izilwane zasemapulazini zivamise ukugijima estudiyo sokuzijwayeza. UMasumi uthanda i-ballet kakhulu, uhamba yonke indlela eya eTokyo ukubona umdlalo okhethekile ngokuvakashela umdansi waseRussia u-Alexei Sergeiev. I-ballet ithengisiwe, kepha uyaphoqa indlela yakhe yokubuyela emuva, lapho egijimela khona kubadlali. Umangele kakhulu ukuhlangana nabo kangangokuthi akukho angakwenza ngaphandle kokuveza imizwa yakhe nge-ballet, ngesimo sengqondo sokungazethembi, ngaphambi kokuba onogada bamxoshe.
Ngenhlanhla kaMasumi, ukudansa kwakhe okuzenzakalelayo kuheha u-Alexei, ocabanga ukuthi unethalente lemvelo. Umdansi waseRussia ummema ukuthi ahlanganyele emncintiswaneni okhethekile kazwelonke we-ballet angomunye wamajaji, futhi ngaphambi kokuba azi, uMasumi ufunda esikoleni esikhethekile se-ballet eTokyo. Lapho uhlangana nenqwaba yezinkanyezi ezikhulayo ze-ballet eziba abangane bakhe nezimbangi zakhe. UKyogoku Sayoko, intombazane enhle, emdala kancane, uthatha uMasumi ngaphansi kwephiko lakhe bese ezama ukumfundisa ukuthi abe ngumshayeli ongcono kangakanani. U-Aoi noKusakabe, ababili babafundi besilisa, baba ngabangani bakaMasumi futhi bazama ukumenza azizwe esekhaya. Kepha akuyona yonke into emnandi nemidlalo esikoleni se-ballet. U-Alexei Sergeiev uba ngumqeqeshi kaMasumi. Ethukuthele ecabanga ukuthi angahle asaphaze ithalente lakhe lemvelo, umholela esimisweni sokuqeqeshwa esinzima, emyisa emaphethelweni okuwa.