Melissa Ria -

Backstage, sweating and breathless, Melissa sat on a equipment trunk and finally cut the bloody ribbons from her feet. Her mentor approached, looking at the ruined shoe. He didn't offer praise. He simply handed her a fresh pair for tomorrow. "You weren't perfect tonight, Melissa," he said softly.

The curtains swept open. The stage lights were a blinding, clinical white. Melissa stepped into the glare, and the world fell away. melissa ria

Halfway through the second act, the unthinkable happened. During a series of complex fouettés, the silk ribbon on her left shoe snapped. It was a minor mechanical failure that usually ended in a collapsed ankle or a humiliated exit. Melissa didn't stop. Backstage, sweating and breathless, Melissa sat on a