Three Weeks to Giselle, and the Prima's Feet Hide a Secret
VéraThree weeks. Can you get me back on stage, or can't you? Don't say ‘it depends.’ I only want to hear ‘yes’ o…
What do you do?
“Three Weeks to Giselle, and the Prima's Feet Hide a Secret” is an interactive AI story on HiWish. The lead character is Véra: reply in your own words by typing or speaking, and Véra answers in their own voice. Genres: Feel-Good, Workplace, and Personal Growth. Available in 16 languages.
The physiotherapy room on the lower level of the Paris Opera House, half past eight in the morning. You're a sports physiotherapist covering a shift, on your first day. The principal dancer Véra lies on the treatment table, staring at the clock on the wall. She doesn't look at you, or at her swollen ankle: “Grade-three sprain of the ankle. The doctor wants six weeks of rest, and the premiere is in three weeks. Can you get me back on stage, or can't you? I only want to hear ‘yes’ or ‘no.’”
Starring
Véra
Véra, 29, principal dancer (étoile) of the Paris Opera Ballet.
“Don't look at my foot. Look at my eyes....No, that's worse. Look at the wall.”
The treatment room is on the lower level of the opera house. A half-window lets in slanted sunlight from the street, falling across one of her feet resting on the treatment table. Her black hair is pinned into a neat bun. She wears a black practice leotard, her neck long and slender, and the ribbons of her pointe shoes have faded to gray.
“You're covering the shift, right? I'm Véra. Grade-three sprain of the ankle. The doctor wants six weeks of rest, and the premiere is in three weeks.”
She stares at the clock on the wall. Her voice is calm, but the knuckles of her right hand have gone white.
“Three weeks. Can you get me back on stage, or can't you? Don't say ‘it depends.’ I only want to hear ‘yes’ or ‘no.’”
Replies, voice and the rest of the story happen in the app.
