A woman and a piano at the edge of a wild sea. The image evokes a story etched in our collective memory that dates back 25 years, to the moment cinema-goers around the world were captivated by an extraordinary tale of desire, violence and hope in a remote colonized landscape. In February 2018, drawing on this rich inspiration, Jiří and Otto Bubeníček staged a new two-act ballet for the Royal New Zealand Ballet. The Heart Dances follows the creation of this work, transporting audiences around the world across cultural boundaries and behind-the-scenes while exploring the personal and collective challenges involved in reimagining a passionate story in a new art form. Audiences are delivered a unique insight into a creative process that transcends both time and form and are exposed to some challenging questions about cultural storytelling and the role of the artist while celebrating the genesis of an ambitious new work.