Oh, greatest ballet master of all time! Oh, most talented choreographer in the universe and beyond! He is handsome! He is elegant! He is strong! He is powerful! He is the man!
You want something from me?
How did you know? Yes. I have enrolled Camille Le Haut in your class.
Thank you.
Felicie
Leave it. Give it back.
Camille
Silly me. I didn't throw it hard enough THE FIRST TIME!
Felicie
Don't make the same mistake. [puts the music box back in her pocket and starts to walk away]
Camille
Why are you leaving? Scared of being humiliated?
Felicie
Looks like you need more training. [uses her broom to stretch her body] You're nowhere near ready. [drops her broom as she and Camille circle each other on tiptoes]
Camille
I'm going to show you what a real dancer looks like.
Felicie
Are you sure about that?
Camille
Quiet! Tonight, these seats will be full! Paris will be looking at me! Adoring me!
Felicie
Or not.
Camille
I already told you! You are nothing! You will always be nothing!
Felicie
Only one way to find out. Right here. Right now.
Oh my god. [rushes out of the room and shouts to the others in the building] BATTLE!
Felicie
Hi. Hello. [to herself; when none of the girls respond] Okay. Super. [louder] I'm Felicie.
Felicie?
Felicie
Uh, no, no, no, no, no. Sorry. I'm... friendly, ever so friendly. And my name is Camille.
Okay. I'm Nora, but everyone calls me... Nora. That's... the name that goes with my face. [laughs] Hey, you should warm up.
Felicie
Warm up? [shrugs and tries to literally 'warm up' by rubbing her hands on her arms]
Oh my. That is crazy. I'm guessing you're new, my darling?
Felicie
You can tell that because...? [Before Dora can answer, Mérante enters. The girls quickly gather to one side of the room] Who is that?
You are joking, right? It's Louis Mérante, ballet master, world-famous choreographer, the man who performed the most fouettes ever in a single solo.
Felicie
Foo-what?
Turns. Really difficult turns.
187 in total. And right after, he vomited!
Silence, mam'selle! First position, second...
Felicie
What?
Third, fourth, and rest in fifth. Today is an important day. I've gathered all the coryphées together to audition for the part of Clara in The Nutcracker, which will debut on Christmas Eve and star Rosita Mauri.
Rosita? Rosita Mauri? Oh, I don't believe it.
So, every girl in this room has a chance to dance in my new ballet... [points his cane at Felicie] ...except you. You've all worked hard... [points his cane again] ...except you. You are here because of talent and guts...
Felicie
Except me.
Exactly. Starting tomorrow, we'll have an audition. One of you will be eliminated each day. So, tomorrow, little rich girl, no matter what strings you've pulled to get here, [turns around] that will be...YOU.
Felicie
Do you have a plan?
A brilliant plan! A plan worthy of my total, utter, unquestionable genius.
Felicie
I love it here! Let's party! [starts to dance on the tables]
Did you say you loved me or the bar?!
Yeah! Wow! Look at her go!
Wow! [to a man at the bar] That's my girlfriend!
You're a lucky guy!
Impressive, ladies! But let me ask you both an important question. Why do you dance?
Camille
I dance because... [less confident] I dance because... Because... [meekly] My mother makes me?
Felicie
Because it's always been a part of my life. It was there with my mom when I was a baby. It's here now thanks to Odette. It allows me to live. To be myself.
Camille
She should dance.
That was very honest, Miss Le Haut, and brave. You have a future at the Opera, if you wish it. [Camille gives him a grateful smile] Felicie, tonight, you dance The Nutcracker!
Camille
Great job.
Well done, my sweetness!
Okay. Bravo, bravo.
Oh bravo!
Felicie
YES! [throws her arms around Odette, who immediately returns the embrace]
Odette
Yes. [she shares the embrace with Felicie]
Odette
Jump and ring the bell.
Felicie
Why?
Odette
Just do it.
Felicie
You don't want me to dance?
Odette
No talking. Jump and ring the bell. [Felicie obeys] Again.
Felicie
You said we were going to train.
Odette
This is it. Again. [Felicie shrugs, then jumps and rings the bell again] Felicie, you lack precision and finesse. You have little or no sense of rhythm. You're without balance, grace, and charm. [as she says this, she pours water around Felicie, creating a puddle]
Felicie
Come on! You can't tell all that from one jump! Can you? [Odette doesn't answer; Felicie hangs her head in shame] You can.
Odette
On the good side, you have the energy of a bullet. But you also have the lightness of a depressed elephant.
Felicie
Hey! Mérante used exactly the same phrase!
Odette
After 10 years of cleaning, you pick stuff up. Okay, now jump up, ring this bell, land, and do not splash the water.
Felicie
That's impossible.
Odette
I thought it was your dream to dance.
Regine
Any mail?
Odette
There is no mail.
Regine
As soon as there is, fetch it. [she finally walks in]
Regine
Get up.
Odette
Yes, ma'am. [gets up, but keeps her head down]
Regine
Who is this?
Odette
No one. She helps.
Regine
You feed it...out of your wages.
Odette
Yes, ma'am.
Regine
I want you to air and press the linen. [whispers] Now. [Odette leaves. Regine looks down at Felicie coldly. A visibly frightened Felicie resumes cleaning the stairs] It's not clean. [purposely pushes the bucket of scrubbing water with her foot; the water spills down the steps, much to Felicie's shock, then smiles wickedly and leaves]
Regine
You...traitor! You knew this. You stabbed me in the back. You are sacked!
SILENCE! [pause] Alright, like it or lump it, here is my deal. [to Camille] Miss Le Haut, you may enter the coryphée class starting tomorrow. And you will also be in the auditions for the part in The Nutcracker. [to Regine] But I want to be clear, if you sack Madame Odette, I will sack Camille. [walks to Felicie] You! You made a terrible start to the classes. And you have lied and cheated to be here. [Felicie sulks briefly] But...you have also shown great promise. And you've worked hard and shown your dedication. You must have a good teacher. [looks at Odette, then back at Felicie] So you may also stay in the auditions. If you get the part in The Nutcracker fair and square, you may become a coryphée too. If you fail to get the part, then you must leave the Opera. Is that clear?
Felicie
Yes.
Is that also clear to you, Madame?
Regine
Clear.
Then, Felicie Lebraz from Brittany, your future at the Opera is in your hands. [he walks out of the room, Felicie and Odette follow]
Camille
What if she's good, Mother?
Regine
Get that part! [puts her hand on Camille's shoulder] Do you hear me? I want vengeance. I will have it. [grabs Camille's arm]
Regine
The stairs, Odette. The stairs are a disgrace. I have guests tomorrow afternoon and I want my building looking worthy, top to bottom.
Odette
I understand, ma'am.
Regine
If you understand, why are you entering your rooms? [walks away]
Regine
Up, down. Up, down. Up, down. [stomps her foot] Again! Up, down. Up...
Camille
I'm tired.
Regine
"Tired" is for losers. Again! I'm going to get that part!
Are you doing dance or kung fu? [chuckles]
Felicie
You are so funny. [stands up, then introduces Victor to Odette] This is Victor. We escaped from the orphanage together.
Hello. I am loving your apron. [kisses her hand]
Odette
Ugh. It seems that you were going out tonight.
Yep.
Odette
Bring her back late and you'll be 6 inches smaller.
Of course, of course, of course. It's a quiet, sober, quiet, sober thing.
So, here's my office, the home of big ideas and genius. [leads her to a desk with blueprints on it] For example, here we see the plans for Chicken Wings version 3. [He leans on the desk and slips, falling to the floor and sending his blueprints flying. He quickly gets back up and awkwardly continues the tour] At the moment, my boss and I are working on several... Uh... important... [giggles nervously and fiddles around with a nutcracker] Inventions. [loses his grip and the nutcracker hits a bookshelf, breaking it] He... uh... [doesn't look where he's going and accidentally steps into an empty bucket] He calls me his ideas man. [clears his throat]
Felicie
You know how to use all this stuff?
Uh, not yet. But I... I have a chair. [sits down in his chair and spins around, finally getting the bucket off his foot]
Hey, Victor.
He's the cleaner. [lowers his voice] He's two sandwiches short of a picnic.
So the pencils all need sharpening and the boss wants us to polish his boots for tomorrow.
Felicie
So your boss calls you his ideas man, huh?
Well... Uh... He has the ideas. [absentmindedly puts a screw in the pencil sharpener] And I think they're great. But it's a start.
Felicie
Hey, Victor. You were right for once. Dreams can come true.
Ha ha ha ha, huh...
Wow!
I hope that tomorrow you act with a little more dignity. [starts to walk out] Anyway, tonight was... [puts his hat back on and smiles] A good performance.
Felicie
Thank you, sir.