- Ryan and Micki investigate the apparent suicides of a handful of ballet dancers and soon learn that they may be linked to a rare music box.
- An obsessed dance choreographer, Anton Pascola, uses a cursed antique symphonia to get the music for his magnum opus. However, the antique requires the sacrifice of Anton's dancers. A daughter of Jack's friend comes to dance for Anton, and is picked as his next target.—Gislef
- In the studio of Anton Pascola, two dancers lie gasping. Anton slams his cane down on the studio floor repeatedly, commanding them to continue dancing. The male dancer, Adam Brown, begs Anton to let them stop. Anton bangs his cane again and tells them that they're dancing The Legend of Shiva, the eternal struggle between life and death.
When Adam begs Anton that he can't dance, Anton tells him that they're done when he says or they dance for someone else. Anton goes to an antique symphonia and winds it to let it play. As Anton records the dancers on a video camera, they dance, compelled by the symphonia's music to perform the roles of Romeo and Juliet. The two dancers, Adam and his partner Cecilia Clark are unable to stop, and finally leap out the studio windows screaming in agony and falling to their deaths several floor below.
Anton turns off the symphonia, disgusted that he didn't capture the full dance.
The next night, at a recital, Jack brings Micki, Ryan, and Jack's friend's daughter Grace Colwell in for one of Anton's performances. Anton himself is crippled, and Grace says that she would have given anything to dance with Anton before his injury. Anton happened to see Grace dance at a recital, and has invited her to join his troupe. The announcer notes that the roles of Romeo and Juliet will be performed by Thomas Manning and Susan Cartier. Grace notes that the change was made because Adam and his partner committed suicide together the previous night, like Romeo and Juliet.
The lights dim and the performance begins. Anton watches from backstage, as Manning and Cartier perform. Grace takes Jack's hand, and a woman, Anne Marcotti, tells Anton that she deserves better than what Anton is giving her. Anton shrugs her off as he watches the dancers, but finally drags her off and tells her that she doesn't have the strength, stamina, or intelligence to dance the role of Shiva. Anne insists that she deserves to dance for him and has worked hard, and Anton tells her that she hasn't worked hard enough and orders her out of his sight. She says that she'll do anything Anton asks, but he tells her that she's not good enough. However, he admires her "plodding dedication" and says that she can help him block the steps. Anton invites her to his studio that night after everyone else leaves. They start to kiss, but Anton pulls away at the last minute and walks off.
The lights go out as the first dance ends, and everyone applauds as the dancers take their bows. Anton comes out on stage and takes a bow. Afterward, Jack and the cousins take Grace backstage to meet Anton, and assure her that everything will be fine. Grace has heard that Anton drives his dancers until they drop, and then gets rid of them. Anton overhears her from his office, and welcomes Grace to his company.
They go in to Anton's office, and Grace introduces Jack. Anton says that his dancers must have no distractions, and Grace agrees. He insists that they're all just dancers, and his every word is Grace's command. Anton tells her that the rehearsals start the next morning, and Jack comments that he's looking forward to 'The Legend of Shiva' performance the next week. Anton says that he is as well, and he's still choreographing it. Since the two dancers killed themselves, Anton says that he has to start over. He gives Grace a VHS tape of the performances and tells her to study it to improve the techniques.
Jack notices the rare symphonia in Anton's cabinet, and Anton refuses to let him examine it and locks the cabinet back up. He assures Grace that she's ready for larger roles... if she wants to be. He assures her that he's seen many dancers, but only a handful are invited to join his company. Anton tells Grace that he sees real potential in her, but she has to be willing to sacrifice everything for the dance. Grace assures him that she is.
Later at Curious Goods, Grace is watching the tape of the dance and Jack says that he was talking to her father. He was worried that Grace is a long way from home, and Grace insists that she's an adult and can take care of herself. Jack says that she can come to the trio if she has any troubles, and then notices the symphonia playing in the background on the rehearsal tape. Grace says that Anton only allow the dancers in the studio during rehearsal, and Jack wonders why Anton doesn't use a tape recorder rather than an antique for the music. Grace asks Jack to let her be alone so she can learn the steps, and Jack amiably leaves.
Anton is in his studio watching his tape of the two dancers that jumped to their deaths. Anne comes in and overhears Anton telling himself that he only needed five more minutes of dancers performing 'The Legend' so that he could capture the entire performance. She says that she can tell Anton want he wants, and Anton has her put her hand on the symphonia and repeat after him that she dedicates her soul and body to the dance.
Once Anne does, Anton turns on the symphonia and gives her direction. He records her and tells her to give herself to the music.
At the shop, Jack checks the manifest for an entry on the symphonia. He admits to Ryan that he's not sure yet what's going on.
Anne can't stop, and Anton tells her she said she could help, and to keep dancing. She begs him to make it stop, but Anton doesn't and Anne spews blood from her mouth and nose. She finally collapses, and Anton is furious that he didn't get all of the new sequence. He tells Anne that he knew she didn't have the heart of a dancer, and walks away disgusted... while a picture of Shiva dancing hangs inside the lid of the symphonia.
The next day, Grace arrives at the studio with the other dancers. Ryan is with her, and Anton reminds Grace about what he said earlier about distractions. He has Grace introduce herself to the other dancers, and Anton assures her that she has the heart of a great performer and only lacks technique. Ryan tells Grace that he'll pick her up after rehearsal, and Anton tells the dancers that first they perform 'The Legend'. Manning points out that the debut is in a week, and Anton says that he's done everything but the finale. Ryan, leaving, notices Anton snap at Manning that he knows when the debut is.
Cartier points out that Anne isn't there, and Anton tells the dancers that Anne has left the company. When Cartier starts to object, Anton asks her for more and Cartier backs off. He turns on the symphonia and says that they'll begin.
At the shop, Jack finds an entry on the symphonia, and a notation saying it was sold to Jeffrey Lear. He tells Micki that Anton has a symphonia, and it could be a coincidence but figures he should check. Jack points out that Anton might have needed an edge to finish 'The Legend'.
Anton stomps his cane and yells at the dancers to stop. He says that he needs a faster tempo, and tells them to dive harder for the floor. He insists that 'The Legend of Shiva' is about life and death, eternally creating one another Anton says that his choreography requires the same commitment to create art from pain. He tells Grace that the other dancers could take a lesson from her, and says that she danced beautifully.
As Ryan returns, Jack reaches Jeffrey's mother, Eunice. She says that Jeffrey died and hangs up if Jack asks if Jeffrey had a symphonia. Micki is looking on, and tells Ryan that Anton may have a cursed antique. Jack admits that he doesn't know what the symphonia does, but figures that it has something to do with the suicides. He tells Ryan to find out what he can when he goes back to Grace, and suggests that he and Micki pay a visit to Mrs. Lear.
When Micki and Jack go to the Lear house, Mrs. Lear insists that she doesn't want to talk about what happened to Jeffrey. Jack convinces her that it's important, and Mrs. Lear tells him to talk to Anton since Jeffrey gave the symphonia to him. Jeffrey was a dancer who worshiped Anton, and they danced in the same company for a year. Mrs. Lear finally says that Anton injured his leg pushing himself to the limit, and it ended his career. Jeffrey gave Anton the symphonia as a gesture of respect, then joined Anton's newly formed company. Anton worked Jeffrey to the bone, and he died of a heart attack. Mrs. Lear insists that Anton danced Jeffrey to death, and slams the door shut.
At the studio, Anton meets Grace alone and tells her that she will perform a solo dance and meet Death. It leads to the final duet, between Grace and Death. Anton admits that he hasn't written the final duet yet, and turns on the symphonia. Grace dances to the music and Anton says that her performance is beautiful.
Ryan arrives downstairs and the masseuse, Gus, tells him that Grace will be done in a few minute. He's working on Manning and Cartier, and Ryan says that he saw the dancers the previous night and they were great. Ryan comments that it's a shame about the dancers they replaced, and asks if they seemed suicidal. Manning says he didn't think so but couldn't tell.
Cartier tries to reach Anne on the phone, and discovers that she still isn't home. Ryan comments that he's heard Anton is a perfectionist, and Manning says that Anton is ruthless but brings out the best in his dancers. Gus and the dancers insist that Anton obtains great art by his determination, and only a select few get to do that.
Grace continues dancing as Anton directs her, and assures Grace that she has the strength and should make the pain work for her. He turns off the symphonia and says that he knew Grace could do it, and assures Grace that dancers like her are rare. Anton tells Grace that he wants to teach her everything he knows and wants her to be the best, and says that she must live the dance every moment of her life. He asks Grace to move in with him so no one else interferes in her life, Anton has her dedicate her body and soul to the dance, putting her hand on the symphonia, and Grace does. He promises that she will be immortal.
Later at the shop, Ryan brings Grace back and she tells Jack that Anton has invited her to move in with him. She has a sheet of the performance music that Anton has given her, and has to learn it by morning. As Grace goes up to the guest room, Jack asks if she's sure she should be moving in. She suggests that they clear it with Grace's father, but Grace says that she trusts Anton.
Once Grace goes to her room, Jack and Micki tell Grace what they've found out about the symphonia. Ryan has discovered that Anton has lost six dancers since working on his most recent piece, 'The Legend. Jack sends Micki and Ryan to find Anne, and notes that only the best dancers disappear or die. He figures the symphonia only gives Anton as much of the music as they can survive.
Grace is watching a tape of the performance, and the tape cuts out just before the first two dancers jump out the windows. She mutters to herself that the dance is beautiful.
The next day, Anton tells the dancers that Grace is the only one strong enough to play the part of Shiva. Cartier says that Grace is too inexperienced for a principal role, but Anton ignores her protestations. After the performance, Cartier tells Anton to change his mind. He refuses and slaps Cartier when she suggests that Anton is sexually interested in Grace. He says that Grace is his image of Shiva, and if Cartier can't accept it then she can go.
As Anton limps off, Cartier asks if Grace will create the last five minutes of his performance. She says that she can dance the incident, and Anton tells her to come to the studio night and prove her assertion is true.
Ryan and Micki go to Anne's apartment, but get no answer at the door. The door is unlocked, and the cousins go in. They check the bedroom and discover that Anne's clothes are still there. They find her corpse hanging in the closet, an apparent suicide by hanging.
At the shop, Ryan and Micki tell Jack what they've found. They figure Anton made Anne's death look like a suicide to cover his murders, and Jack wonders how to stop Grace. He goes up to her room and says that he needs to talk her out of moving into Anton. Jack says that he'd feel better if Grace held off on moving in with Anton, but she insists that Anton is only interested in her for her talent.
Jack warns Grace that Anton's dancers keep turning up dead. He admits that they have no proof, and Grace doesn't believe him. Jack asks for a couple of days to find proof, and Grace finally agrees.
At the studio, Cartier dedicates her body and soul to the music. He says that if she completes the solo, she'll perform in the premiere. Anton turns on the symphonia and Cartier begins to dance.
Grace sneaks out of the shop to move in with Anton.
Cartier can't stop and begs Anton to stop the symphonia. He refuses, and Cartier throws herself through a studio mirror and kills herself. Furious that the song wasn't completed, Anton angrily asks Cartier's body why she didn't finish it, and says that she's nothing. Grace has arrived at the studio door and secretly hears the entire thing.
The next day at the stage, Anton tells the other dancers that they can't imagine Cartier's pain but they can see that she didn't die in vain. He says that completing the performance will help them bear their grief, then wonders where Grace is. Grace comes in late and apologizes, and says that she's ready. They begin and Grace performs her solo dance.
Manning is dancing as death, and wonders what's next. Anton says that's as far as he's gotten, and Manning wonders how they will do the finale without a rehearsal. The choreographer angrily tells them all to clear the stage, including Grace.
Ryan breaks into the cabinet in Anton's office but the symphonia isn't there. Anton comes in and wonders what he's doing. Jack is backing up Ryan, and tells Anton that they were waiting to talk to him about grace. Anton orders them both out, and once they leave Anton takes the symphonia out of his desk drawer.
Anton calls Grace in, and tells her that he's depending on her that night. Grace assures him that she won't disappoint him, and he says that the final duet will have to be an improvisation. She says that she can do it if Anton thinks she can, and he says that he knows she can and tells her to let the music lead her. Anton tells Grace that he was hoping to save her for a while, but it has to be. Grace says that she would do anything for him, and Anton kisses her.
That night the performance begins. At the shop Jack tells the cousins that they'll search everywhere else while Anton watches from the wings He figures Grace will be safe because Anton only uses the symphonia for choreography. Micki goes through the things Grace left behind, and finds Anton's tape of the choreography. They play the tape, and it ends right before they die, and Jack figures the symphonia only gives Anton part of 'The Legend'. The tape also shows Grace dedicating herself to the song.
The trio drive to the performance hall but are stuck in traffic. Micki and Ryan go ahead, with instructions from Jack to get Grace out of the theater. They arrive and search for Grace backstage, while Grace reaches the end of the music. As Grace dances off-stage, Ryan and Micki arrive. Ryan grabs Grace and says that they have to get her out of there. Micki tries to drag Grace off, while Anton sees them and clubs Ryan with his cane.
Grace runs on stage, and when Manning dances off-stage, Anton tells him that he has to swear an oath to the dance to prepare for the finale. Manning refuses and quit in disgust, and Anton takes out the symphonia.
The music stops, and Anton limps onto the stage with the symphonia. He sets it down and turns it on, swear the oath, puts on the Death mask, and dances with Grace. The symphonia gives them the last bit of music, but Anton and Grace both die as they perform. Jack arrives and sees them collapse. They reach for other's hands but die before they can touch. Jack turns off the symphonia, and the audience applauds unaware that the deaths are real.&
Later, the trio return to the shop and Jack is furious that Grace is dead. Ryan restrains him and says that Grace knew what she was doing. Micki says that Anton gave Grace the chance to die like an angel, and no one could have convinced her it was worth dying. Jack breaks into tears, and Micki and Ryan hold him.
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