In February 1912 Budapest, Hungary, Ballets Russes impresario Sergei Diaghilev boasts to dancer Vaslav Nijinsky that he has arranged tour dates in France and England. Vaslav opens a gift that Sergei has brought from his travels, an antique shard of Greek pottery depicting a homosexual youth. The following evening, Romola De Pulsky attends the Ballets Russes with her actress mother. Romola believes that she has the talent to be a ballet dancer but her mother refuses to introduce her to Sergei Diaghilev. Romola is mesmerized by Vaslav Nijinsky’s performance. Sergei worries how to keep his ballet company afloat, and is constantly juggling the bills. He assures choreographer Mikhail Fokine that allowing Vaslav the opportunity to do choreography will not undermine his role in the company. Romola sneaks into the opera house during rehearsals, hoping to speak to Sergei, but he and Vaslav ignore her. The next month in Greece, Sergei and Vaslav go to a museum, where Vaslav admires an antique urn with an image of a faun, similar to the pottery shard Sergei gave him. Sergei urges him to focus on creating the faun’s character on stage and disregard details like settings and time periods. As they picnic, Vaslav wonders what it would be like to have sex with a woman. Sergei describes the experience as wrestling with a pillow. Vaslav believes that if he had never become a dancer or met Sergei, his life would be ordinary and he would have a wife for a companion. One month later in Monte Carlo, Monaco, Mikhail finds fault with designer Leon Bakst’s costumes, but Sergei reminds Mikhail that the costumes are not his concern. Later, Mikhail refuses to look at costume and scenery sketches for an upcoming production of The Faun, ignoring Leon and Vaslav. Meanwhile, Romola arranges an invitation to visit her friend, Magda, who reveals that her father is a Monte Carlo opera house board member and the family has season tickets. There will be plenty of opportunities to go to parties and see the Ballets Russes. At his hotel, Sergei shows his latest expenses to his patron, Baron Dimitri De Gunzburg. The baron gives him cash, and confesses that supporting art makes him feel good about his otherwise hollow existence. As the baron leaves, Mikhail confronts Sergei about postponing some of his work to present Vaslav’s L’Apres-Midi D’Une Faune. Threatening to quit, Mikhail warns that Sergei’s favoritism of Vaslav is embarrassing the company, but Sergei refuses to back down. After watching a Ballets Russes performance of Scheherazade, Romola charms Baron Dimitri De Gunzburg at a party, and gets an introduction to Sergei Diaghilev, who gives her permission to set up private lessons with ballet maestro Enrico Cecchetti. The ballet master advises her to study in Budapest and come back to audition. In May 1912, the company is in Paris, and Mikhail complains to Sergei that his work appears too early in the program. The house will be half-full, and several critics will miss it. When Mikhail blames Sergei’s bad judgment on his relationship with Vaslav, Sergei agrees to change the order of the dances on the program but warns that it will be his last dance for the company, and his contract will not be renewed when it expires in November. Later, Mikhail insults Vaslav in the hallway. At the conclusion of his faun performance, Vaslav rubs his groin against the scarf of a female lover. The audience is shocked and boos. The newspapers report the scandal and Sergei is pleased that the controversy will sell tickets, but Vaslav is consumed with guilt. He based his choreography on instinct, and fears that he might be going mad like his brother. Sergei assures him otherwise. Moving to Switzerland in June 1912, they listen to Igor Stravinsky play Sacre du Printemps on piano. When Vaslav has difficulty choreographing the music’s staccato rhythms, Stravinsky suggests the dancer may be a better lover than a choreographer, but Sergei insists that Vaslav is a genius. However, at rehearsal, Vaslav loses his temper at a dancer named Maria Piltz. When Vaslav claims his anger is justified, Sergei slaps him and orders him to apologize. Later, Vaslav tells the Baron De Gunzburg that the Stravinsky work will not be finished in time for the Paris season, and negotiates to create a shorter, simpler dance as a replacement titled Jeux. Meanwhile, Enrico Cecchetti agrees to give Romola private ballet lessons while the ballet company is on tour. In St. Petersburg, Russia, a theater is destroyed by fire, and the baron arranges for the company to tour Argentina instead. Sacre du Printemps is poorly received by French audiences, and the critics claim Vaslav’s choreography is devoid of ideas. Ballet Russes staff members suggest hiring a more mature choreographer for the upcoming season. On holiday, when Vaslav discusses his next ballet with music by Richard Strauss, Sergei suggests that he needs to rest after creating three important ballets, and their relationship falters. Vaslav complains that he could create daring choreography if he did not feel suffocated. Sergei agrees they need time apart, and announces that he will not be on the tour in Argentina. While traveling, Romola is a sympathetic ear as Vaslav complains that Sergei failed to send him the Strauss music as promised. Later, the baron shows Vaslav a telegram from Sergei, revealing his plans to cast a younger dancer, and his desire to reconnect with choreographer Mikhail Fokine. Vaslav feels betrayed, but Romola comforts him and they make love. When they get to Buenos Aires, Argentina, they marry. Dancer Tamara Karsavina arrives in town late, bringing a copy of the Strauss music for Vaslav to study. She announces that Sergei could not find a younger dancer, and wants Vaslav to take the role. When Sergei finds out about the marriage, he sends a telegram informing Vaslav that his services with the company will be terminated at the end of the tour. Vaslav wants to confront Sergei immediately, but Romola persuades him to stay. After the tour, Sergei is true to his word, and Vaslav is unmoored by the banishment. Romola begs Sergei to reinstate Vaslav and mend their relationship, promising to leave her husband so that circumstances can resume as they were. However, Sergei claims their relationship has run its course. Vaslav has outgrown him and Sergei has found a new protégé. When Romola declares that Sergei is a monster, his defense is that he has always done what is best for the company. Romola vows to protect Vaslav, even if he suffers from mental illness. Sergei offers his help, but Romola ignores him and walks out the door.