《Turning Fate》(Episode 01)(English version)

(P.S. This episode makes extensive use of visual imagery and symbolic meaning, please bear with us, thank you.)

Section 1: Puppet Body

The rust on the stage ceiling spread like withered veins under the spotlights。Lin Xia stood in front of the control console, adjusting the metal spools，his fingertips unconsciously tracing the golden necklace around his neck。This was the “Chain of Responsibility” given to him by the dance troupe manager——to sculpt Shen Jing into the perfect aerial dancer，but first, he needed her to learn to relax her tense body。

Behind the stage, a tattered silhouette of an angel hung from the curtains，a remnant from last month’s performance of Giselle when an audience member threw coins at it。Lin Xia’s control console was tucked away in a corner of the rehearsal room，The control mechanism hung from the ceiling above the practice stage，twelve golden wires extending from the spools like a spine , binding Shen Jing’s body。This system, modified from antique marionette technology，still bore traces of blood from Shen Jing’s rehearsal yesterday——she’d grazed her skin when the metal fittings of the wires cut into her during a misstep in a modern dance sequence。

Shen Jing was suspended in mid-air, the hem of her white shirt stained with the still-wet glue from her dance shoes。This reminded Lin Xia of the seal on the demon in the Firebird ballet。The audience chairs had all been moved to the center of the stage, forming a circular surveillance array。The audience would become the “Judges” in the performance—Lin Xia’s interpretation of the lyrics from “Puppet Show” (“Roles above and below switch places”)。

“Fourth time, Shen Jing, your toes should hover like the ghost of Giselle—not stiff like a machine!” He could clearly feel Shen Jing’s muscles resisting the pull of the wires, just as she suddenly pressed her entire weight onto the left wire，This put a load strain on the controller。

Shen Jing’s pupils flickered with a sickly blue behind her lenses—a side effect of the new nerve-relaxing drug she was taking。She opened her mouth to say, “My joints are misaligned again,” but a small voice receiver attached to her throat converted her speech into electronic noise。This passive silence formed a habit between them, like an echo of the lyrics from “Puppet Show” (“Listen! Eee-eee, chatter, broken and drawn out, stammering, giggling, and laughing”)。

Lin Xia suddenly noticed that Shen Jing’s skin at the back of her neck was glowing，He’d applied fluorescent gold powder there during yesterday’s rehearsal to simulate the scene in Firebird where the wizard seals the demon：“You are my beast now, and I am the only one who can break the seal”。

As Lin Xia pushed the controller to allow Shen Jing to perform the “Dance of the Dead” from Giselle, the golden wire suddenly tightened。Shen Jing’s right hand had flung out a movement from the third act of Firebird—a gesture of resistance against the programmed sequence。

“Stop!” Lin Xia yanked the emergency brake, but Shen Jing’s body, due to inertia, crashed into the long mirror at the edge of the stage。The broken glass reflected Shen Jing’s image, overlapping with the tattered angel silhouette on the curtain, creating an absurd image of “flustered and hurried, performing a farce,” like the absurd scene depicted in the lyrics of “Puppet Show”。

“Are you hurt!” Lin Xia shouted. Suddenly, Shen Jing flicked her toes, the golden wire tracing an arc in the air like the lyrics from Which One (“Breaking the chains of fate”)。Then she unfastened the fixed strap on her left ankle and, with bloodied fingers from the broken glass, wrote “Pain” on the mirror fragments。“I’m sorry! I pulled too fast,” Lin Xia said。

Afterward, Shen Jing curled up in a pile of dance shoes, coughing，Lin Xia realized it might be a side effect of the new nerve relaxant, causing her body to react uncoordinatedly。“If you have any issues with my choreography, you can tell me directly”。“Don’t hurt yourself with sudden movements like that”。Lin Xia said as he grabbed the first-aid kit to bandage her wounds。

Shen Jing remained silent, her eyes downcast，Lin Xia looked at the old scar on her earlobe—a remnant from when she was bullied by street thugs years ago。“Don’t take the nerve relaxant anymore; it will only make your body stiffer”。Too much relaxation will also weaken the power in your dance moves，You need to naturally control and feel your body’s condition to showcase your best dance。Don’t let the drugs control you, turning you into its puppet。

I’m thinking we should stop using the tech device—modified from antique marionettes—because it sometimes causes you injuries。I want to suggest to the dance troupe manager that we replace the tech device with a standard suspension system，We can continue to practice and overcome the challenges of more difficult dance moves to make the performance smoother and more solid。Or, I can join the performance to assist with some of your more difficult moves。

Section 2: Golden Wires and Dance Steps

The moment Lin Xia tossed the medicine box into the trash, Shen Jing’s fingers unconsciously hooked onto his jeans。A draft blew in through the never-closed glass windows of the dance troupe’s dressing room, chilling her fingers, which were still in the process of being bandaged。The window faced the neon lights of the night market, with occasional jazz music seeping in from behind the metal security shutters, creating an absurd juxtaposition with the smell of antiseptic and bandages in the dressing room。

“You’re saying you want to replace the tech devices?” Shen Jing looked at her reddened eyes in the mirror，Gold powder from last night’s rehearsal hadn’t been completely wiped away, looking like a string of forgotten stardust caught in her eyelashes。Lin Xia was crouching in front of her, adjusting the ankle brace，Shen Jing’s wrist trembled slightly from the injury – a sprain to the ligaments caused by the gold wires during rehearsal for The Firebird。

“Not replace, deactivate,” Lin Xia’s voice suddenly hardened, like the disciplinary tone of the lyrics from Puppet Show (“Tighten your belt!”)。“The golden wire system was originally an experimental product leased by the dance troupe from a tech company; it was never intended as a long-term solution”。He flipped to page 20 of the manual, pointing to the warning label about “Human Limit Load”。“Shen Jing, did you know that your joints shifted three times during rehearsal? That’s not a coincidence”。

Lin Xia’s gaze slid to a duffel bag in the corner of the dressing room, containing half-packed photos from a street dance class。They were from last year, when Lin Xia followed the “Wave Breakers” dance troupe in Taipei’s alleyways：He was captured in the photos with sweat-soaked jeans, illuminated by streetlights, barefoot and leaping between brick walls, his arms swinging with the freedom of wild grass。But look at Shen Jing now, her body bound by gold wires, forced to recreate the lightness of the “corps de ballet” (a ballet term referring to the ensemble of dancers) in Giselle – a dreamlike vision painted with the tips of ballerinas’ shoes, now a torment for Shen Jing’s muscles。He was asking her to cooperate with the tech devices, causing her injuries and stripping her of her freedom. Was he doing the right thing? Or would he only cause her more harm?

“I need your cooperation.” Lin Xia reapplied the ice pack to her swollen ankle，“For tonight’s Firebird rehearsal, we’ll use the suspension system”。“I’ve already reported this to the dance troupe manager”。Her pupils dilated slightly, reflecting the anxious helplessness of the lyrics from Puppet Show (“Two words, three phrases tug at my senses”)。“Let’s also slowly wean her off the new nerve relaxant!”。“You have to trust me… I think your tendons are rejecting the medication”。

Shen Jing sighed, feeling it was her fault she couldn’t perform the ethereal ballet movements, that she simply hadn’t worked hard enough。Lin Xia patted her shoulder：“I’ll use my expertise in street dance to complement your ballet, to create a truly stunning performance that will move the audience”。“I’ll combine street dance and ballet, weaving a dance that will inexplicably touch people’s hearts”。“Let’s work together!”

Just then, the dressing room door was slammed open，Chen Wei, the dance troupe manager, pushed in a gold wire controller, followed by three representatives from the investment company。“Lin Xia, the choreographer, the tech company says we’ve already pre-paid six months of rental fees. We can’t just stop using the system!” His gold-rimmed glasses reflected the unremoved gold wire connector on Shen Jing’s wrist。“And the media has already positioned ‘Technology x Classical’ as the core selling point of this season’s dance drama”。

The female investor flipped through her tablet, her fingertip gliding across the business presentation for the “Golden Wire System”：“This Ms. Shen Jing’s physical fitness data has only a 67% compatibility with the system?” Lin Xia countered, and Shen Jing’s pupils suddenly constricted—she saw Chen Wei’s shadow twisting on the wall, resembling the lyrics from the song “Puppet Show” – “They have cow heads and chicken feet, tails held high, describing wildly flailing limbs”。

“So it must be raised to over 85% to ensure box office success”，the investor said, her tone as if discussing a failing inventory。“Or… replace her?” Lin Xia’s gaze swept over the old scar on Shen Jing’s earlobe, and Shen Jing’s fingertips instantly dug into her thigh, the pain reminding her of the sensation of being beaten on the street a year ago。

Lin Xia suddenly grabbed the control lever, and the golden wires jerked, suspending Shen Jing in mid-air。This unexpected movement startled the investor, but Lin Xia, in the moment Shen Jing was pulled, clearly saw the pattern of her muscle contractions：“Wait! Manager Chen Wei, send me the data”。He pulled up Shen Jing’s training records and suddenly focused on a particular curve，“The problem isn’t Shen Jing; it’s the system’s feedback delay. It predicts movements in the third act of The Firebird 0.3 seconds slower than a human reaction”。

Shen Jing’s breathing began to falter, and the golden wires left deep red marks on her wrists。Lin Xia suddenly released the control lever and pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket – a note Shen Jing had copied lyrics from the song “Puppet Show”: “Bright red clothing, paired with a comical disguise”——“Shen Jing, your ballet costume has never been ‘comical’”。His voice began to choke up。“I was wrong. I was trying to compress your wildness using the rules of the Golden Wire System, like trying to fit the ghost from Giselle [a classical ballet known for its ethereal, romantic style] into modern dance…”。

Shen Jing suddenly stood up, her body swaying. She stumbled and fell heavily to the floor。When she sat up, her skirt was casually folded at the knees, a touch of balletic freedom。Chen Wei, you have to believe us," she said, “to save this dance drama, we don’t need the gold wire system, we need your ‘belief’”。“Believe in what?” Lin Xia said firmly："Believe that we will set The Firebird ablaze – not burned by the tech system’s gold wires, but ignited by a revised contemporary dance that will spark the audience’s passion and make the drama burn bright”。

At that moment, Shen Jing pulled the technology-filled electronic receiver from her neck, and it fell to the ground with a “ding,” like the puppet’s singing voice in the lyrics of Puppet Show。She took off her ballet shoes and stepped onto the practice stage barefoot. Shen Jing continued, “Just like when you watched me dance ballet back then…”。

“Wild beauty!” Lin Xia blurted out, and the investor’s tablet slipped to the floor。A smile finally appeared on Shen Jing’s face, a smile Chen Wei had never seen before: a smile of [freedom] locked outside the rules of the dance troupe。

“Good.” Chen Wei suddenly opened the glass window of the dressing room, and the lights of the night market and the beat of the street dance music flooded in。“Tonight’s rehearsal, no gold wires, no medication, just your ‘wildness’ and ‘beauty’”。Chen Wei removed the technology-filled headband from Shen Jing’s head, and as her hair cascaded down, Shen Jing saw her reflection in the mirror – like a beast breaking free from its seal in The Firebird。

“But…” Chen Wei tried to speak, but Lin Xia turned him off：“Does the investment contract mention ‘innovation’? Look! This is innovation”。Lin Xia pushed Shen Jing towards the mirror，“Dance for them, show them a dance that ‘breaks the chains of fate, and is utterly mad’!”

Shen Jing stamped her heels heavily on the floor, causing the heels of the female investor’s shoes to sway。She began to dance, her shoulder blades like the wings of a bird, her arms extending in a fusion of the street dance improvisation Lin Xia had taught her and the extensions of ballet, tearing through the air。Sweat dripped as she kicked the electronic receiver on the floor, the “crack” of it breaking like the moment the puppet’s strings are cut in Puppet Show。

Tears streamed down Lin Xia’s face and landed on the investment contract handed to him by the investor, the ink blurring like Shen Jing’s limbs – art that could no longer be contained by a system。As Shen Jing froze in a “freeze” position (a pose in street dance) in the center of the mirror, the investors’ cameras began to flash wildly。This impromptu “breaking of the ropes dance” became the headline on the next day’s media: “The Wings of the Firebird”。

Chen Wei seemed to believe in them but still insisted on using the tech devices to satisfy the investors, sighing as he cleaned up the mess。He saw Shen Jing take the photos Lin Xia had taught her to street dance from her duffel bag and gently place them next to Lin Xia’s choreography designs。In the photos, she was flipping in the alleyways, with the neon lights of the city park in the background, and the characters of The Firebird on the designs were now burning on the paper。

Third Segment: Dance Against the Current

Lin Xia’s fingertips hovered over the computer screen, the tech projection rehearsal system emitting a faint blue glow that cast tiny star-like reflections on the beads of sweat on his forehead。He watched Shen Jing repeatedly practice the third act, “Embrace of Flames,” the scraping of her ballet slippers against the floor a harsh sound——a “systematic movement” demanded by Chen Wei, converting the classical steps of The Firebird into a “plot narrative aligned with market expectations”。

“Stop,” Lin Xia suddenly said, the sharp beep of the electronic receiver piercing the rehearsal room。Shen Jing froze mid-movement, her right hand still curved as if embracing the demon king in The Firebird, while her left hand trembled slightly due to the delay in the electronic signal。Lin Xia rushed forward and grabbed the constantly twitching gold wire, its touch cold as a snake。

“Look,” he flipped Shen Jing’s left hand over, revealing deep purple bruises where the metal wire dug into her skin。“Ballet’s beauty isn’t woven with things like this”。He remembered a line from The Puppet Show – “Puppet strings, a strange and beautiful tale” – and suddenly grasped Shen Jing’s shoulders, turning her towards a full-length mirror at the back of the rehearsal room。

The mirror reflected Shen Jing’s entire body: her red and gold costume was a modified version of The Firebird’s traditional attire, the prominence of her shoulder blades suggesting clipped wings。But the gold wire across her chest looked like a spiderweb, trapping her within a framework of programmed movements。Lin Xia tapped his knuckles against the mirror, creating a rhythm reminiscent of the lyrics from The Puppet Show：“Remember? What we originally wanted to adapt was the ‘Mad Dance’ of the ghosts from Giselle, not this program-locked routine”。

A slight catch in Shen Jing’s throat betrayed her emotion。Removing the receiver felt like being released from torture, her right toes white from being constantly wrapped in bandages。Lin Xia suddenly realized that Shen Jing had never complained about the pain of wearing these restrictive devices——she had simply channeled all her emotions into the “rage and sorrow” of The Firebird’s plot。

“Try this.” Lin Xia cued up the second act ghost ensemble from Giselle, but simultaneously scrambled the rhythm, inserting the sharp beats of a breakbeat drum into the lyrical melody of the classical ballet。Shen Jing’s pupils dilated: it was the “Improvised Deconstruction” technique Lin Xia had taught her in an abandoned garage in the city, blending the spontaneity of breakdancing with the extended power of ballet。

The gold wire vibrated with a warning as the tech system from the investors flashed a red alert: “Movement Deviation Rate: 127%”。But Shen Jing’s body had already begun to move with Lin Xia’s improvised accompaniment——a ballet grand jeté in mid-air transforming into a breakdancing “flick” kick, her right arabesque fracturing into the wild, circular arm movements from The Firebird。

“Yes, that’s it!” Lin Xia leaped onto the practice stage, combining his own breakdancing “wave” with Shen Jing’s ballet extension。Her nails dug into her palm, and she remembered a line from the lyrics of “Turning Dance”: “How do you know if you are a butterfly, or a moth?” Shen Jing was originally meant to be the “Firebird” – possessing both the purity of ballet and the raw energy of street dance。

The tech system’s red warning lights flashed on and off, and Chen Wei’s tablet suddenly displayed a video call invitation from the investors。Shen Jing kicked a practice box aside, sending the gold wire receivers tumbling to the floor。At the moment her foot made contact with the floor, Shen Jing changed the trajectory of her movement, turning what should have been a ballet attitude turn into a breakdancing “windmill,” the arc of her hair tracing a line through the dust on the stage。

“Your spine!” Lin Xia exclaimed, realizing that Shen Jing’s back arched far beyond the range of ballet training during the breakdancing “flooring” move。At that moment, the tech video feed from the investors flashed an image of Shen Jing’s profile：her eyes no longer held the vacant look of a puppet controlled by strings, but burned with the wildness that The Firebird should possess。

Chen Wei’s video invitation finally disconnected, leaving his silhouette in the doorway looking more like a spectator than a manager。

“Stop,” he said, but Shen Jing’s dance steps had already begun to echo Lin Xia’s street dance accompaniment。The pointe shoes of ballet and the dynamic movements of street dance intertwined in the air, as if the ghostly corps de ballet of Giselle and the incantations of The Firebird were dancing together。

The tech system’s scoring displayed “Emotional Expression: 98%,” but Shen Jing’s gold wire had already come loose。Lin Xia suddenly grasped the bruise on her wrist, intertwining their arms into a ballet lift, but at the highest point, he suddenly shifted it into a breakdancing “uprock” confrontation。Shen Jing’s gasps overlapped with the imagery from The Puppet Show – “Waiting for the curtain to fall, the audience applauds, but something feels amiss” – and she finally understood that Lin Xia didn’t want “correctness,” but “genuine feeling” in her dance。

“Look in the mirror.” Lin Xia pushed Shen Jing towards the full-length mirror。The reflection revealed a shocking scene：Shen Jing’s ballet skirt ruffled like flames during the improvised breakdancing moves, while Lin Xia’s breakdancing clothes were stained with red marks from the ballet pointe shoes. This was the adaptation they wanted——not a systematized Firebird, but a tearing apart, restructuring, and reigniting of the precision of classical ballet and the freedom of breakdancing。

As the last flicker of blue light from the tech system died out, Shen Jing let out a long laugh。The laugh was a mixture of the sorrow of the ghosts from Giselle and the struggle of The Firebird, echoing the line from The Puppet Show – “Tighten your belts, do not obstruct the view” – with a mocking tone。She ripped the electronic receiver from her neck, the metal wire drawing an arc in the air like a puppet string, but shattering into pieces as it hit the floor。

Tears streamed down Lin Xia’s face, landing on Shen Jing’s skirt and spreading like a dark red stain, resembling the blood of the demon king consumed by flames in the plot of The Firebird。They had finally completed a “Dance Against the Current” that didn’t need strings, driven entirely by physical memory, will, and mental strength——every scratch Shen Jing’s pointe shoes made on the floor was a protest against systemic constraints; every improvised “freeze” in Lin Xia’s breakdancing was a tribute to the ghost ensemble from Giselle。

As Chen Wei’s applause thundered, Shen Jing’s pupils reflected their figures in the mirror：they were no longer puppets controlled by strings, but a new, free, and wild dance language “Turning” formed by deconstructing ballet’s “pointe in” with breakdancing’s “breaking,” and softening breakdancing’s “popping” with ballet’s “adagio in”。This was the Firebird they wanted – not puppets obedient to market expectations, but a “True Dance” forged from tearing apart the classical and modern, bearing wounds and bruises。

Lin Xia threw the remnants of Shen Jing’s gold wire into the air, the fragments sparkling like stardust under the theater spotlights。Their rehearsal room finally began to breathe。

Fourth Segment: The True Firebird

Shen Jing’s pointe shoes slipped on the floor for the third time when Lin Xia suddenly grabbed her trembling calf。“Don’t use your ballet center of gravity,” Lin Xia said, his palm pressed against her slender ankle, knuckles whitening with the effort。“There’s no audience, no scoring system, only our breath”。He turned Shen Jing towards the rehearsal room’s recording playback. The screen showed sweat stains on Shen Jing’s tutu and the reflective metal buckles on Lin Xia’s street dance attire。Shen Jing’s pupils suddenly dilated—she saw herself on the playback dancing to the rhythm of “toprock” – a style of street dance – but unconsciously curling her foot at the highest point of the movement, recreating the “arabesque” pose from ballet。

“That’s the answer.” Lin Xia and Shen Jing intertwined their arms in a recreation of the “Ghost Dance” from Act II of Giselle – a famous classical ballet – but as they were about to complete the ballet’s “five positions,” Shen Jing’s fingertips suddenly executed a “wave” – a fluid movement – typical of street dance。Sunset streamed through the glass windows, casting a lingering light like the swirling ensemble of Giselle’s ghosts. Shen Jing’s ragged breaths echoed in the rehearsal room, sounding like the fragmented opening chords of The Firebird’s overture。

But the blue light of the technology company’s monitoring system continued to flicker on the wall。“The system says our ‘emotional expression’ is below 70%.” Shen Jing suddenly broke away from Lin Xia and retreated to a corner, hugging her left leg into a “freeze” – a static pose – from street dance。Her gold wire receiver – the electronic sensor strip the company had adhered to her skin – vibrated with the distorted frequencies of a line from the song “Puppet Show”: “Two words, three phrases, pulling at my senses”。Lin Xia knelt to touch her left leg, but Shen Jing pushed him away with a “relevé” – a ballet pose where the dancer rises onto the balls of their feet。

“Do you know that the evil sorcerer in The Firebird is ultimately consumed by flames?” Shen Jing’s question was laced with tears, but her voice was closer to the tragic grandeur of a ballet princess. “But the dance company’s investors are living for ‘correctness’!” She suddenly pressed Lin Xia against the wall, their breaths mingling with the sarcastic lines from the song “Which One” : “Truth or falsehood, who decides what’s right?”。The metal buckles on Lin Xia’s street dance attire scraped against the gold wire around Shen Jing’s neck, leaving a faint mark, which mirrored the white rose held by the ghost in Giselle when viewed in the mirror。

At that moment, the rehearsal room door was violently thrown open。Chen Wei, dressed in a black suit, entered holding a tablet computer. Data streamed across the screen at a frantic pace, mirroring the frenetic rhythm of The Firebird。“The investors want to see ‘quantifiable results’,” he threw the tablet towards Shen Jing。“Your ‘emotional expression’ must be raised to 85% within 24 hours – otherwise, the rights to adapt The Firebird will immediately revert to the company”。

Shen Jing’s pupils constricted. She saw a red warning flash across the tablet screen: “Movements are ‘too unconventional’ and may cause cognitive impairment in the audience”。This reminded her of the moment before the Baron went mad in Giselle – when the line between reality and fantasy blurred in the mirror, all clues pointing to the same ending。

“I have something to tell you.” After Chen Wei left, Lin Xia pulled Shen Jing towards the back of the rehearsal room, where torn-up plot outlines of The Firebird were piled up。Moonlight streamed through the stained-glass windows, casting shadows resembling the “ox-headed horse-faced demons” from the lyrics of “Turning Dance” on Shen Jing’s pale face。“Remember what happened to the company when it was acquired by the consortium…”。

Shen Jing’s fingertips suddenly brushed against the tattoo on the inside of Lin Xia’s wrist—the word “Freedom” spelled out in symbols representing street dance steps。This reminded her of the first time she saw Lin Xia dance：in a dilapidated dance hall during a rainstorm, Lin Xia fused the “popping” style of street dance with the “grand jeté” of ballet into a tearing flash of light, while the applause of the audience was mixed with the defiant lines from “Which One”: “Fate exiles me, so what?”。

“We don’t have much time.” Lin Xia suddenly pushed her onto the mirrored floor of the rehearsal room’s central stage and began to drive her movements with the frantic rhythm of The Firebird。Shen Jing’s pointe shoes scraped harshly against the glass, but in Lin Xia’s “breaking” – a style of breakdancing – they reformed into the “pas de bourrée” – a quick series of steps – from ballet。As they rotated for the tenth time, Shen Jing suddenly saw the truth reflected in the glass：her ballet tutu was unraveling with gold wire during the street dance movements, and the laces of Lin Xia’s street dance shoes were binding her ankles with the arc of a classical pointe shoe。

“Look here!” Lin Xia grabbed her right hand and used the “port de bras” – a graceful arm movement – from ballet to push her towards the mirror。The moment Shen Jing’s palm touched the glass, all the movement memories controlled by the gold wire suddenly surged—the lines from “Which One”: “Born into shackles, unable to break free”。She realized she was incorporating the “wave” from street dance into the “adagio” – a slow, graceful dance – from Giselle, and this hybrid aesthetic was tearing apart the data stream of the scoring system。

As the clock struck midnight, Shen Jing finally made a decision。She ripped off the gold wire receiver from her leg, letting the electronic shackle curl on the rehearsal room floor in the shape of flames from The Firebird。Lin Xia covered her trembling fingertips with his palm, and they began to dance in a way never seen before：Shen Jing’s pointe shoes drew balletic arcs in the rhythm of street dance’s “locking”, while Lin Xia’s “uprock” – a competitive dance style – incorporated the sorrowful curves of Giselle’s ghosts。

“This is another side of our Firebird,” Shen Jing whispered as she danced, her pointe shoes tracing the red shoes of Giselle on the glass floor, while Lin Xia’s sweat glistened like the feathers of the Firebird in the light。“Not what the scoring system wants, but…the inevitable expression of the Firebird”。Lin Xia pushed Shen Jing into a “windmill” – a spinning move – from breakdancing, but as he spun to the highest point, he extended his body into a “Grand Écart” – a wide balletic split。

As dawn broke, Chen Wei opened the door and saw a scene that made his pupils contract：Shen Jing’s gold wire system was automatically deleting all scoring data, and on the mirrored floor of the rehearsal room, Lin Xia had etched the word “Freedom” in street dance symbols with blood and sweat。Lin Xia pushed Shen Jing in front of the mirror, letting her see the intertwined tear tracks on her face and the fanaticism of the protagonist from The Firebird。

“In twelve hours, we’ll show the investors the true Firebird”。Lin Xia said, his voice mingled with the lines from “Puppet Show”: “Look at the stage and the audience, the roles reversed”。“Like the ghost of Giselle, let their scoring system be the mirror we shatter with our dance shoes”。

Shen Jing’s fingertips touched the tattoo on Lin Xia’s wrist and suddenly burst into tears。She remembered three years ago, in the rain-soaked dance hall, when the ghost of Giselle and the flames of street dance had occupied her vision at the same moment。At that moment, she finally understood: when the tragic aesthetics of ballet and the rebellious rhythm of street dance merged in her blood, that golden wire controlling her was nothing more than an illusory clue。

Section 5: The Firebird’s Performance

The stage lights suddenly dimmed, leaving only a streak of blood-red spotlight shining from above。Lin Xia’s fingernails scraped harshly against the wooden floor, followed by a crisp, final tap of Shen Jing’s pointe shoe。

“The opening music should break the rules,” Lin Xia whispered to Shen Jing backstage, a mischievous smile playing on his lips in the blue glow of the steel pipe lights。Suddenly, the violent chimes from Tchaikovsky’s The Firebird Suite were torn apart by electronic sound effects—the moment Shen Jing’s pointe shoe grazed the floor, Lin Xia’s mixed drumbeat blasted through her headphones, the beatboxing of street dance colliding fiercely with the brass of the orchestra。

[Act One: The Birth of Flames]

Shen Jing’s ballet skirt transformed into molten lava under the lights. She began to dance the traditional “Grand Jeté” (a large leap) from The Firebird, but suddenly curled her body into a “wave” – a fluid movement borrowed from street dance – mid-air。Lin Xia burst from the shadows of the stage, catching her with the mechanical, jerky movements of “popping.” He supported her knees, allowing her to hover in the air in the classic ballet pose of an “Arabesque”。A murmur ran through the audience: this was a classic ballet pose, but Lin Xia’s “uprock” – a competitive street dance step – beneath her feet made her look like a sculpture being lifted by flames。

“Wait! Lower the brass in the third section!” a voice shrieked from the theater’s sound engineer in Lin Xia’s headphones, but the two had already synchronized their breathing into a frenzied rhythm。Shen Jing’s pointe shoe scraped five arcs onto the floor – the ballet movements from The Firebird’s original “battle with the evil sorcerer” – but Lin Xia “locked” the movement into place with “breaking” – a dynamic style of street dance – kneeling and spinning, Shen Jing’s skirt wrapping around his arms like flames clinging to a tree。

[Act Two: The Shattering of Gold Threads]

As the orchestra reached its climax, Shen Jing’s hair bun suddenly came undone. Her long, black hair spilled across the stage like ink, revealing a single gold thread at her neck—a trace of where the scoring system’s receiver had pierced her skin。Lin Xia’s pupils constricted. He suddenly pushed Shen Jing away from him, letting her body arc through a “Grand Écart” – a large split leap – in mid-air, but froze her in place upon landing with a “floor freeze” – a street dance move – maintaining the arc of her “demi-pointe” – a ballet half-toe position – while her ankle was entangled in fragments of the gold thread。

“Cut it! Now!” Lin Xia’s shout exploded in sync with a bass drum。Shen Jing bit down on the golden wire, her tutting [a street dance style that involves creating angular, geometric shapes with the arms and hands] hand angles suddenly becoming blades。She gripped the wire with her index finger and thumb, and with the flexibility of a ballet dancer’s wrist, tore it apart。The wire scattered into stardust in the air, and Shen Jing stepped with her toes over every shimmering speck, performing 32 fouettés [a ballet turn where the dancer whips their leg around while turning] from the original Firebird “Magic Dance,” but at the end of each turn, Lin Xia used a locking [a street dance style characterized by quick, distinct movements and pauses] freeze to reset her balance。

[Act Three: The Resonance of Resistance]

A projection began to play behind the stage: Giselle, the ghost from the classic ballet, in iconic scenes—that tragic beauty of a love that clings to death. Now, it was transformed into digital fluorescence, projected onto Shen Jing’s skirt。Lin Xia’s pupils reflected the ghostly projection on her skirt. He suddenly ripped off his shirt, revealing a flesh-colored tattoo of firebird feathers intertwined with ballet pointe shoes。He spun into the air with a “windmill” – a dynamic spinning move – his shoulder blades tracing the arc of a firebird’s wings, while Shen Jing’s extended “adagio” – a slow, graceful ballet movement – wound around him like a ghost。

“Look here! It’s not the numbers the tech scoring system wants, but the dance of our blood, sweat, and effort!”。Lin Xia roared, pulling Shen Jing into a “dip” – a street dance pose where one person supports another in a low position – but whispered in her ear, “When you danced highest in the rain-soaked dance hall…” Shen Jing suddenly understood the meaning of the move——she transformed her ballet “grand jeté” – a large leap – into a 360-degree spin known as a “flare” from street dance, their fingers and feet intertwining in the air, creating a rhythm more chaotic than Tchaikovsky’s。

[Final Act: The Wings of Rebirth]

As the orchestra’s finale arrived, Lin Xia’s improvisational “crumping” – an energetic street dance style – shattered the rules of ballet。Shen Jing’s pointe shoe scraped sparks onto the floor, and Lin Xia’s street dance shoes ignited every line。They finally concluded with the death pose from Act Two of Giselle – “the ghost dance”——Shen Jing’s body falling backward, but caught by Lin Xia in an “acrobatic dance” – his arms like the claws of a firebird supporting her, while her skirt blossomed into a freestyle street dance fantasy in the air。

The lights went completely dark, and gasps and sobs echoed from the audience。Shen Jing’s tears dripped onto the back of Lin Xia’s hand, mixing with his sweat, coalescing into a single amber droplet。As the curtain fell, Lin Xia suddenly tapped the floor with the rhythm of “clap” – a street dance move – and Shen Jing’s ballet pointe shoe followed, a signal they invented during rehearsals, now becoming a rebellious encore for all dancers trapped by the tech scoring system。

Lin Xia and Shen Jing finally succeeded in brilliantly performing a modern dance-like plot adapted from The Firebird (ballet), through a fusion of street dance and ballet。

(Episode 1: End)

《翻轉命運》(第01集) 專有名詞解釋

<Terminology Explanation for “Turning Fate” (Episode 1)>

吉賽爾 (Giselle)

中文: 一部著名的浪漫芭蕾舞劇，講述一個農村女孩愛上貴族的故事，充滿了愛情、背叛與超自然元素。

English: A famous romantic ballet, telling the story of a peasant girl who falls in love with a nobleman. It’s known for its themes of love, betrayal, and the supernatural.

亡靈之舞 / 幽靈群舞 / 鬼魂群舞(The Dance of the Wilis/Corps de Ballet of the Wilis)

中文: 《吉賽爾》第二幕中，一群被背叛而死的女鬼的群舞，以輕盈、飄逸的動作呈現，充滿了悲傷和神秘感。

English: In Act II of Giselle, a group dance performed by the spirits of betrayed women. It’s characterized by light, airy movements and a sense of sadness and mystery.

火鳥 (The Firebird)

中文: 一部由伊戈爾·斯特拉文斯基配樂的芭蕾舞劇，取材自俄羅斯民間故事，講述了伊凡王子與火鳥、邪惡巫師之間的冒險故事。

English: A ballet with music by Igor Stravinsky, based on a Russian folk tale. It tells the story of Prince Ivan and his adventures with the Firebird and an evil wizard.

柴可夫斯基的《火鳥組曲》(Stravinsky’s The Firebird Suite)

中文: 柴可夫斯基根據俄羅斯童話故事創作的音樂組曲，充滿了異國情調和神秘色彩。

English: A musical suite by Stravinsky based on a Russian fairytale, known for its exotic and mysterious atmosphere.

《火鳥》的「魔法之舞」(The Magic Dance from The Firebird)

中文: 《火鳥》組曲中最著名的樂章之一，描寫了火鳥跳舞的場景，充滿了活力和魔力。

English: A famous movement from The Firebird suite, depicting the Firebird dancing. It’s full of energy and magic.

《火鳥》原劇中「魔法之舞」的32圈揮鞭轉（Fouettés）(32 Fouettés in the original The Firebird ballet)

中文: 一種高難度的芭蕾舞技巧，舞者快速地連續旋轉，並用腿部的揮鞭動作保持平衡。

English: A difficult ballet technique where the dancer performs a series of rapid turns, using a whipping motion of the leg to maintain balance.

提線木偶 (Marionette)

中文: 一種用線控制的木偶，表演者通過操線使木偶活動，模仿人類或動物的動作。

English: A puppet controlled by strings. A puppeteer manipulates the strings to make the puppet move and act like a human or animal.

木偶戲 (Puppet Show)

中文: 指以木偶為表演主體的戲劇形式，或引申為比喻被人操控的處境。

English: A theatrical performance using puppets. It can also metaphorically refer to a situation where someone is being controlled by others.

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芭蕾的「adagio」(阿達吉歐)

中文: 芭蕾舞中的一個慢板舞步，通常需要舞者展現優雅、平衡與控制力。

English: A slow and graceful ballet movement that requires the dancer to demonstrate elegance, balance, and control.

芭蕾的「arabesque」(阿拉貝斯克)

中文: 一種經典的芭蕾舞姿勢，舞者身體向後傾斜，一條腿伸直抬高，另一條腿支撐身體。

English: A classic ballet pose where the dancer balances on one leg, with the other leg extended straight out to the back.

芭蕾的「attitude turn」(優雅轉身)

中文: 一種芭蕾舞轉身，舞者抬起一條腿彎曲，身體旋轉，表現出優雅和平衡。

English: A ballet turn where one leg is raised and bent, and the body rotates, showing elegance and balance.

芭蕾的「demi-pointe」(半腳尖)

中文: 舞者用腳掌前部抬起腳跟，但沒有完全站立在腳尖上。

English: Rising onto the balls of the feet, but not fully onto the toes.

芭蕾的「Grand Écart」(大跨步)

中文: 一種芭蕾舞動作，舞者快速地跨步，展現力量和靈活性。

English: A ballet movement involving a large, sweeping step, demonstrating strength and flexibility.

芭蕾的「grand jeté」(大跳)

中文: 芭蕾舞中的一個跳躍舞步，舞者在空中伸展雙腿，形成一個水平的線條。

English: A large leap in ballet, where the dancer extends both legs in the air, creating a horizontal line.

芭蕾的「pas de bourrée」(布雷步)

中文: 一種連接步，舞者快速地用腳後跟、腳掌和腳尖依次移動，連接不同的動作。

English: A connecting step in ballet, where the dancer quickly moves heel-ball-toe to link different movements.

芭蕾的「pointe in」(腳尖內收)

中文: 舞者站立在腳尖上，並將雙腳內收的動作。

English: Balancing on the toes with the feet turned inwards.

芭蕾的「port de bras」(手臂的移動)

中文: 芭蕾舞中手臂的優雅移動和姿態，表達情感和意境。

English: The graceful movement and carriage of the arms in ballet, used to express emotion and create atmosphere.

芭蕾的「relevé」(抬起)

中文: 舞者從平足狀態抬起腳跟，用腳掌和腳尖支撐身體。

English: Rising onto the balls of the feet, lifting the heels off the ground.

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街舞的「breaking」

breaking (霹靂舞)

中文: 一種充滿力量和技巧的街舞，包括頂力、旋轉、定格等動作。

English: A powerful and acrobatic street dance style, known for its power moves, spins, and freezes.

街舞的「clap」(拍手)

中文: 街舞中常用的節奏點，通過拍手來強調節奏和動作。

English: A common rhythmic element in street dance, used to emphasize beats and movements.

街舞的「crumping」(街舞風格)

中文: 一種充滿活力和力量的街舞風格，以快速、有力的手臂和身體動作為特徵。

English: An energetic and powerful street dance style characterized by fast, jerky arm and body movements.

街舞的「dips」(街舞技巧)

中文: 街舞中的一種技巧，舞者將身體重心降低，並以手臂或腿支撐，形成一個低沉的姿勢。

English: A street dance technique where the dancer lowers their center of gravity and supports their body with their arms or legs, creating a low pose.

街舞的「flare」(街舞技巧)

中文: 街舞中的一種高難度技巧，舞者以單手支撐身體，並以高速旋轉，形成一個360度的動作。

English: A difficult street dance technique where the dancer supports their body with one hand and spins rapidly, creating a 360-degree rotation.

街舞的「flick」(甩動)

中文: 街舞中通過快速甩動身體或肢體來製造力量和節奏的動作。

English: A movement in street dance where the body or limbs are quickly flicked to create power and rhythm.

街舞的「flooring」(地板動作)

中文: 街舞中在地面上進行的動作，包括滑步、旋轉、定格等。

English: Movements performed on the floor in street dance, including slides, spins, and freezes.

街舞的「floor freeze」(定格)

中文: 街舞中在地面上保持靜止的姿勢，通常需要很強的平衡力和控制力。

English: A pose held on the floor in street dance, requiring strong balance and control.

街舞的「freezes」(定格)

中文: 街舞中各種靜止的姿勢，通常用於強調節奏或展示技巧。

English: Various static poses used in street dance to emphasize rhythm or showcase skills.

街舞的「free style」(自由風格)

中文: 街舞中沒有固定動作和風格的即興舞蹈。

English: An improvisational street dance style with no fixed movements or style.

街舞的「locking」(鎖舞)

中文: 一種充滿趣味和節奏感的街舞，舞者通過快速鎖定身體的姿勢來製造視覺效果。

English: A fun and rhythmic street dance style where dancers quickly lock their bodies into various poses.

街舞的「popping」(機械舞)

中文: 一種通過快速收縮肌肉來製造跳躍和機械效果的街舞。

English: A street dance style where dancers quickly contract their muscles to create popping and robotic effects.

街舞的「toprock」(站立舞)

中文: 街舞中在站立姿勢下進行的舞蹈，通常用於開場或過場。

English: A street dance style performed while standing, often used for introductions or transitions.

街舞的「tutting」(埃及舞)

中文: 一種模仿埃及壁畫中人物姿勢的街舞，通過手臂和手部的角度變化來創造幾何圖形。

English: A street dance style that mimics the angular poses found in Egyptian hieroglyphs, creating geometric shapes with the arms and hands.

街舞「uprock」(對抗舞)

中文: 一種模擬街頭鬥毆的街舞，舞者通過快速的移動和對抗來展現力量和技巧。

English: A street dance style that simulates a street fight, with dancers using quick movements and confrontation to showcase strength and skill.

街舞的「wave」(波浪舞)

中文: 一種通過身體的連鎖反應來製造波浪效果的街舞。

English: A street dance style where a wave-like effect is created through a chain reaction of body movements.

街舞的「windmill」(風車)

中文: 一種街舞動作，舞者身體旋轉，手臂和腿部形成類似風車葉片的形狀。

English: A street dance move where the dancer spins their body, and their arms and legs create a shape similar to the blades of a windmill.

Acrobatic dance (特技舞蹈)

中文: 融合了体操、舞蹈和杂技的舞蹈类型，强调身体的灵活性、力量和平衡。

English: A dance style that combines gymnastics, dance, and acrobatics, emphasizing flexibility, strength, and balance.