It was the day after auditions, and the door to Tony's office was like a revolving door. The first to arrive that morning " before he'd even finished his first morning cup of cappuccino - was none other than his ballet mistress, Irina Sokolova. To say Irina and Tony went way back was a bit of an understatement. Without any children of her own, she had often remarked that if he hadn't belonged to such a lovely family, she might have stolen him away and adopted him herself. She wasted no time in telling him why she was there.

"Anton," she started while he sipped his cappuccino, which had come straight from his sister Elena's shop. "It is Merethyl. She is perfect " too perfect. Her technique is flawless, but she has no feeling. She would make a better Ice Queen, than Snow Queen. It is like watching an automaton going through the motions," she said, making a twirling motion with one hand.

"What do you suggest?" Tony asked with a frown. They had discussed the wisdom of hiring the elf this time last year, and yet, he'd had high hopes for the dancer. Irina was right " she was perfect, but if she could not find a way to convey emotion, she would ultimately bore the audience to tears.

Irina shrugged her slim ex-ballerina shoulders. "I will work with her privately, of course, but I would also suggest lessons in acting. Talk to your sister. Perhaps she can suggest a teacher. It is like her face is made out of stone. There must be a heart inside her somewhere. We must somehow teach her to feel the dance, not just go through the motions."

"I'll talk to "Tay, and see if she can spare someone," Tony promised, wondering which of her actors would be so lucky as to find themselves strapped with a student. He knew she was starting a program for children to give them an introduction to the theater, but Merethyl was no child. She was, in fact, over two centuries old.

"There's more," Irina continued. "It's Tian. He is a superb dancer, but he has lost his confidence. He cannot lift. He is, in fact, terrified of lifting. We cannot pair him with a partner, if he is afraid of dropping her. I believe he is capable enough, but he lacks confidence. I will work with him, as well. I believe he and Merethyl could help each other. She needs to learn empathy, and he needs to gain confidence. They can give each other that. And she is as light as a feather. If he cannot lift her, then his days as a principal may be over. I would suggest making them both soloists, until they are ready to be partnered."

Tony agreed and gave Irina permission to do whatever she felt necessary to make them both better dancers. He had hired Christian, despite his difficulties. He couldn't very well let his old friend sacrifice his career when he had the means to help him, after all. The man had been seriously injured during a rehearsal for Swan Lake and much to his dismay, had been told he would never dance again. Tony had disagreed, bringing him straight to Rhy"Din for healing and a second chance at a career, but like Merethyl, Christian, too, had to overcome some difficult obstacles before he could achieve his full potential.

Irina had barely stepped out of the room when Tony was joined by the ballet's new general manager. Alex Vanburen was a businessman who knew the entertainment industry backwards and forwards. It was why Tony had hired him, so that he could focus on the artistry of the dance " choreographing, directing, and dancing " and not so much the managing the business end of things. The man seemed practically beside himself with anxiety, his face flushed, a manila folder clasped tightly in one hand that he waved briefly beneath Tony's nose before tossing it on the director's desk.

"That is the financial report," he said, opening the folder and tapping a finger against a spreadsheet filled with columns of numbers that meant nothing to Tony, until Vanburen explained them to him. "The theater is doing fine, but the ballet is just barely breaking even."

"I've had no complaints from Mataya," Tony pointed out. Ballet companies were notorious for running in the red. So long as the theater itself was turning a profit, he doubted his sister would complain.

"Tony, you see the ballet as art; I see it as a business. What you need are corporate sponsors. I'm sure there are plenty of companies in Rhy'Din who would be happy to sponsor the ballet. It's good for them and for you. It's good publicity for them and will help pay your overhead. It's just good business."

"Okay, how do we do that?" Tony asked, closing the folder and folding his hands atop it, trusting Vanburen to know his job.

The man shrugged his shoulders. "Simple. We put an ad in the paper asking for sponsors. Corporations eat this stuff up, Tony. It's good publicity for them. It's cheaper than running an ad campaign, and it shows they are supporting the community. It's a win-win situation for you both."

Tony agreed to this, also. Though he wasn't overly concerned about profit, the man was right. If they wanted to continue hiring the best dancers and putting on the finest productions, they needed to find a source of income that would supplement the ballet's less prolific ticket sales. It was just good business.

The next one through his revolving office door was his new rehearsal director, Janine Peters, who had just recently arrived. She was coming to them from the Pittsburgh Ballet, where she had only recently retired from dancing. Though retired, she was still vibrant and full of energy, ideas, and enthusiasm. Perhaps too many ideas. She, too, had once been a friend and even an ex-dance partner, but thankfully, not a lover.

"Tony," she started, just like all the others. "I wanted to talk to you about The Snow Queen. I have some ideas about the interpretation and choreography."

"Okay," he replied, taking another sip of his cappuccino, while waiting for her to continue. He had hired Janine to help with rehearsals, freeing him up for other things - like spending time with his wife and daughter - but it seemed perhaps she'd had other ideas about what he expected of her.

"I was thinking perhaps instead of sticking to the traditional story, we could add elements from Disney's Frozen. The ballet is just in time for the holiday season, and the children will love it!" she pointed out with an eager grin. Perhaps a little too eager.

"Uh," Tony replied with an uncertain frown. "I'll think about it," he promised, though he knew he was going to have to disappoint her. While he knew how popular the Disney version of the story was, he wasn't sure how well that would translate to the ballet. Had she missed the word classical when she'd agreed to sign on'

He was starting to get a headache and it wasn't even mid-morning yet.

Lastly, as if all that wasn't enough, he had to deal with a disgruntled diva. Melissa Burlington had been after him for the last year or so to make her a principal dancer. Like every other woman who'd ever worn toe shoes, she had dreams and ambitions to one day become a prima ballerina. Though she showed promise, neither he or Irina felt she was ready for the challenges, demands, and rigors such a position entailed. In time, perhaps, but not quite yet. She was too young, for one thing, and not experienced enough.

"Mr. De Luca, I'd like to talk to you about my place in the ballet," she started, a little tentatively. "I'll be honest. I've received an offer from the San Francisco Ballet. I like it here. I really do. I love working with you and Irina, and I've made lots of friends, but I have to think about my career and what?s best for me."

Tony sighed at this latest of the ballet's little challenges and rubbed a thumb against a temple. "How much, Melissa?"

"I beg your pardon?" she asked, a confused look on her young, pretty face.

"What are they offering and how much to keep you?" he asked further. Maybe Vanburen was right. If he was going to keep his best dancers, he was going to need more money to pay them.

"Oh, uh ..." she started, blushing with embarrassment, as if she hadn't expected this question.

"Tell you what ....What if I give you a raise and make you the coryph"e"" he asked. Maybe it was time he appointed a corps leader, and Melissa had been with the ballet the longest.

"It's not that, Tony," she said with a sigh. They'd known each other long enough to forego the formalities. "I have been overlooked once too often. Each year, you hire ballerina after ballerina, only to lose them after a year, when I have been here from the beginning. It is not just me who feels this way. We have been loyal to the Shanachie, Tony. We love working here, but we are not getting any younger, and we have to think of our careers."

Tony nearly chuckled at the mention of age. "How old are you again, Melissa" Eighteen" Nineteen? You are a fine dancer, but you lack experience. Stay with the company another year, and I will seriously consider your request. In the meantime, my offer still stands," he told her, folding his hands on the table. He didn't have a mean bone in his body, but this was his ballet troupe, and for once, he was going to stand his ground.

"I'll think about it," she replied quietly, eyes downcast as if she was ashamed of herself for pushing him so hard. She moved to her feet and mumbled her thanks before taking her leave. Time would tell whether she would stay or not, but it seemed Tony had called her bluff.

Tony was exhausted, but it was all in a day's work for the Shanachie's Ballet Director, and it wasn't even noon yet.