Plot summary

Yearning to make a name for herself in the demanding world of ballet, the unknown but ambitious dancer, Victoria Page, finds herself catapulted to stardom by a twist of fate. At last--after the abrupt retirement of the imperious impresario Boris Lermontov's leading performer--Vicky becomes the company's prima ballerina, experiencing the ambrosial taste of swift recognition with their adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's enchanting fable, The Red Shoes. However, before long, the ecstatic ballerina will have to confront the insufferable burden of choice, as a passionate whirlwind romance and the self-sacrificing devotion to her art starts to tear her apart. Now, Victoria's sacred art demands sacrifice. Is she willing to renounce the triumphant success for love's sake?—Nick Riganas