Joan is a ballerina whose life has been shaped by her relationship with the world-famous dancer Arslan Ruskov, whom she helps defect from the Soviet Union to the United States. While Arslan's career takes off, Joan's slowly declines, ending when she marries her longtime admirer, PhD student Jacob. As the years pass, Joan settles into her new life in California and watches her son Harry become a ballet prodigy. But when Harry's success brings him in contact with Arslan, secrets are revealed.