Paris Christmas Waltz (2023)

[bunniefuu]

[whimsical music playing]

[music ends]

[roar of applause]

Oh, wow. That was so magical.

I wish I could experience

something like that.

Why can't you?

- Well, I'm not a ballroom dancer.

- Ah-ha.

I know what I'm getting you

for Christmas.

Time to break out

those high school jazz shoes.

[kisses] Please say hi to Pasha for me.

- Bye, Liv.

- [Liv] Have a nice Christmas!

[exhales loudly]

[phone buzzing]

Hello?

[woman] Hello, I'm calling from

Saint Pierre Hospital in Paris.

- Is this Leo Monroe?

- Yes. This is Leo.

This is regarding Henry Fontaine.

You've been named

as his emergency contact.

Yes. Is is Henry okay?

Uh, yes. There has been an incident,

but he's stable.

Um Okay, just please

please, uh please tell Henry

I'll be on the first flight to Paris.

Yes, Mr. Monroe. I will tell him.

- [speaking French] Merci.

- Au revoir.

- [man] Great show, Leo.

- Thanks. See you on the next one.

When it's Santa in his sleigh

- There's no room for work

- [Santa] h*, h*, h*! Merry Christmas!

Hi.

[camera shutter clicks]

- For my mom and dad.

- [Santa] h*, h*, h*!

- Merry Christmas!

- Merry Christmas!

Thank you!

Merry Christmas!

[children] Bye!

Bye! Thank you for your toy donation.

Oh!

- Hey!

- Hi!

Cece, this is festive.

- Your shop looks amazing.

- Thanks. Ah! I love my job.

And it's fun to have an opportunity

to give back to the community.

- Yes, it is, and here's my contribution.

- Oh, what do we have here?

I've got books, arts and crafts kits,

and Sudoku puzzles.

How very functional and educational.

These are fun toys.

- Hey, what did you donate?

- Oh.

These squeezy animals.

Their eyes pop when you squish them.

Both funny and great for stress reduction.

Here, I got one for you.

[scoffs] I am not stressed.

You're an overworked accountant

with no activities.

I have my dance.

Only because I gifted you

into taking lessons.

And I am forever grateful.

But just so you know,

social dance lessons

don't qualify as a social life.

I know the way your last relationship

ended really shook your confidence,

but it's time to get back out there.

Okay, I will, when the right situation

presents itself.

- Hi.

- Hi!

Thank you!

- Merry Christmas.

- Merry Christmas!

You have to be pro-active.

It's Christmastime in the city.

Doesn't your dance school hold

those holiday jingle single mingles?

[laughs] Okay, they're called "mixers."

And, you know, you don't have

to be single to go to them.

Are you really happy

with the way things are?

- Things are fine.

- But are you living your dream life?

Ah

I think you're stuck.

Maybe you're right.

[French music playing]

[sleigh bells jingling]

["O Christmas Tree" playing]

[clears throat]

[fire crackling]

How could you miss that move?

It's no use playing the game

if your head's not in it.

Sorry. Just a little distracted.

Your upcoming trip to New York?

Maybe.

You're worried about running into Giselle?

Mm. The dance world is a small one.

And it's a tough transition,

dissolving a dance partnership.

Yeah. Well, since I didn't invite her

to dance last Christmas gala,

she still won't speak to me.

So, you have closure.

That is a positive way to look at it.

[chuckles]

Here, let me get that.

No, I've got it.

I've been thinking

I would like to choreograph

a piece for you

to compete in the Paris Yuletide Pro/Am.

[Leo] Uh

[tea pouring]

Henry, that is a huge honor,

and you know I would do anything for you...

I mean, you're responsible

for my entire dance career... but

I've retired from competition.

Leo

I don't know what the future holds for me,

but if this should be

the last piece I choreograph,

I want you to be the one performing it.

- You're not going anywhere.

- Okay. But I still want you to dance it.

I don't even have a dance partner.

Maybe it's time to start looking.

[puts cup down]

Hey, Steve.

Hi, Emma.

- Hey.

- Oh, Steve

Listen, I found a small mistake

on the deductions on the Harrison account,

so I emailed you an updated file.

[sighs] Thank you so much.

You saved me on that one.

Yeah, sure. It happens to the best of us,

especially with the hours we're pulling.

- I don't know about you, but I'm fried.

- I hear you.

I'm headed out to grab a bite to eat.

You want anything?

[Steve] No, thank you.

My wife made me a sandwich

and a gingerbread cookie.

Aw!

My daughter's into her sticker phase.

[laughs] That is adorable.

So, you have any plans this Christmas?

Are you taking the family on vacation?

Yep. Poconos.

The kids are learning how to ski.

- Sounds fun.

- [Steve] Heading home for Christmas?

Uh, no, my parents are going skiing,

so I'll stay in the city and work.

- But I might see "The Nutcracker."

- Can't go wrong.

Yeah, Anyway, see you later.

Don't want to step in that.

Oh! Uh, thank you.

But I wasn't planning on stepping in it.

Right. My mistake.

- [man] Oh! Oh, man!

- [Emma chuckles]

[man] Yep.

- Guess you can't save everyone.

- No, you can't.

[Emma sighs]

Oh! I got it, I got it.

Just thought you were going down.

- Actually, I have pretty good balance.

- Me too.

Oh!

- [Emma squealing]

- Where are you going? I got you.

[both laughing]

h*! [laughs]

[Leo sighs loudly]

Wow, it's a good thing

we bumped into each other.

No telling how we would have

navigated that on our own.

Yeah. I guess we'll never know.

That's a nice tree.

Thanks. I got it to brighten up

my office break room.

[Leo] Ah.

- I'm an accountant.

- Oh. Right. That tree ought to help.

Have we met?

I... I don't think so.

Okay. Well, Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

- [man] That's festive, Emma.

- Thanks!

[sighs happily]

You all right?

The company is doing 5% cutbacks.

- Dan just gave me two weeks' notice.

- What?

Steve, I'm so sorry.

They said it's just temporary.

Why you, of all people?

It's okay. I'm sure it's going by tenure.

You've worked here

longer than I have, so

Still

I've just got to work out

how to tell my family.

I'll be right back.

Dan?

You're asking me to let you go

and keep Steve on?

He has a wife and kids.

They're going skiing for Christmas.

I've been thinking about a change,

and then this situation presented itself.

Yeah, but giving up your job

Sometimes, God's plan for us

is just different than what we expect.

We will hate to lose you.

Thank you, Dan.

You're absolutely sure about this?

I am.

You've been fired?

You should have priority standing

as the most dedicated person there.

I offered my job to my co-worker, Steve.

- What?

- He needed it more. You said I was stuck.

I didn't mean to volunteer

for unemployment. [chuckles]

- I've got this. It's the least I can do.

- Thank you.

- Thanks.

- Thank you.

- Merry Christmas!

- Merry Christmas!

I do have some money saved up, you know.

- I'm not completely irresponsible.

- Huh. Really?

Okay, it was impulsive,

but what you said got me thinking.

I have to be careful giving you advice.

Seriously, what if there's

a different life out there waiting for me,

and I've just been stuck

on the wrong path?

It feels like there's got to be

something more.

It's actually pretty exciting.

Who knows what adventure awaits?

Exactly.

So, it's Friday night.

We can do whatever you want.

What do you want to do? Dig deep.

[cha cha dance music playing]

- This place is great.

- Yeah.

So, now what? Do we walk around

and work the room?

I take group classes so there's structure

and a specific format.

Why does everything

have to be so complicated?

Oh, I know that guy.

He works at the Bean Roaster.

Hi! Remember me?

- Decaf Holiday Mocha?

- Yeah.

- Care to dance?

- Sure!

Now it's your turn.

Come on, cha cha!

Um

- Oh!

- [Emma] I'm so sorry! My fault.

[groans] Actually, it's a little easier

in these glass cups.

[Emma] Okay.

Hello, again.

- Hi.

- [Leo laughs]

I just realized where I know you from.

You're Leo Monroe.

- Have been my entire life.

- Are you always this sassy?

- Am I sassy?

- Yes.

- What was your name?

- Oh, I'm Emma Harris.

- Oh. There you go. Nice to meet you.

- Thank you.

- You know, I've seen you perform.

- Oh, yeah?

- Yeah.

- Any thoughts?

You could brush up on your footwork.

- Oh!

- I'm just kidding. No. You were brilliant.

Thank you.

Do you have a minute

to meet Sophia, the dancer?

- Yeah. Of course. Excuse me.

- Sure.

Shall we?

- Hey!

- That was so much fun.

- You know who you were talking to?

- Leo Monroe?

Yes! The dreamy guy we saw

in the Christmas Gala last year.

- You didn't dance with him?

- He didn't ask.

Well, anyway, I just found out

he's looking for a new dance partner

for the Yuletide Pro/Am competition.

- What about the girl from last year?

- Just a one-time thing.

He had a different partner,

but they aren't together anymore.

[laughs] How do you know all this?

I guess ballroom dancers

drink a lot of coffee.

That must be one of Leo's

audition candidates.

[Emma] She is beautiful.

Nobody's ever going to ask you to dance

holding that eggnog.

Okay, fine. I'll put it down.

I'll be right back.

Thank you so much.

That was a lovely dance. Thank you.

Hey, Angelo.

So how was Sophia?

Well, she's all about technique.

- In a good way?

- In more of an inflexible way.

You didn't respond to Vivian,

Tania isn't available over Christmas,

Sandra was too pushy,

and now, Sophia is too inflexible?

What can I say?

I'm out of suggestions, Leo,

and you're out of time.

[Cece] You haven't auditioned Emma.

Sorry to eavesdrop, it's just

Emma's an incredible dancer

and would love to compete with you.

And she's free for the holidays.

Hi.

- All right, Emma.

- [Emma] Whoo!

- Let's go.

- What did you do?

Oh, they switched music styles.

I wasn't quite ready. I...

If you don't talk, you can hear the music.

It's just I thought it was going to be

another waltz, but it's a cha cha.

- Yes.

- I'll stop speaking now.

You ready? Here we go.

- Get your arm up. Match my line.

- Now you're talking.

- I'm the one auditioning you.

- What?

[chuckles nervously]

- Oh!

- [Emma] Sorry!

She's just warming up.

Thank you for the dance.

Sure.

Okay, what just happened?

It's called magic.

You're welcome, by the way.

Well, that was interesting.

It was, actually.

Yes! We have lift-off.

You told Leo Monroe

I want to compete with him?

Don't you?

Well, yeah,

but I'm nowhere near his league.

That's the whole idea of Pro/Am.

He's the Pro, you're the Am.

- Hi.

- Hi.

Hi. Didn't mean to sneak up on you.

[Leo chuckles]

So, Emma, you want to give this

a proper tryout?

To be honest, I really don't have much

dance competition experience. Like, any.

That doesn't matter.

I really enjoy your natural ability.

The thing is, we'd have

a lot of catching-up to do.

It's long rehearsal hours.

No problem there. I am the overtime queen.

Henry Fontaine is choreographing.

He is a perfectionist.

- Henry Fontaine, the dance legend?

- Yes.

Wow.

- [Leo chuckles]

- Um

Are you even available

to rehearse over the holidays?

Yeah, I have no attachments,

and I am completely free and available.

All right. Well, I'd love to give this

a proper audition tomorrow.

[Emma] Okay.

If that goes well,

this just might work out.

Okay.

- Oh, your passport is up to date, right?

- Yes.

- Okay.

- Where would I be going?

Paris.

I'll see you tomorrow.

Thank you for picking me up

at the airport.

You got it.

[Emma gasps] Look at that!

It's so much bigger than

the one in Washington Square.

- Pretty impressive, huh?

- Yes! But you're not looking!

First time in Paris?

First time anywhere.

- You've never traveled?

- Oh, yeah, just locally.

Catskills, Coney Island

That clock right there is

the oldest clock in all of France.

- Wow.

- Yeah.

And right there is the Pont Neuf,

the oldest standing bridge in Paris.

Oh!

- The Paris Opera House!

- [Leo] You know it?

Of course. The Phantom of the Opera

lives in there.

[laughs]

[Emma] And there's the Louvre.

It's actually "Le Louvre."

Oh, is it? Huh. I've been saying it wrong

my whole life.

It happens.

Okay, here we go. This is you.

I'll be staying with Henry,

right over the bridge.

I mean, come on.

Can a hotel possibly get

more picturesque than this?

It's even better than I expected.

What?

Seeing Paris through your eyes,

I realize I've been missing a lot.

- [woman] Is that taxi free?

- [Leo] All yours.

- Oh, great! Are you American?

- Yes. It's my first time in Paris.

You two are in for a treat.

Paris is the most romantic city

in the world.

Yes, it is.

We're just colleagues, though, so

I just assumed.

You look so nice together.

Thank you.

Have fun. You'll love the hotel.

Au revoir.

[Leo and Emma] Au revoir.

- Let's get you checked in.

- Okay.

Wow. [laughs]

- Ah, bonsoir.

- [both] Bonsoir.

Welcome to Htel Dokhan's.

- Reservation for Emma Harris.

- Bien sr. Of course.

- May I have your passport, please?

- Oh, yes. Of course.

Merci.

We have a beautiful corner room,

with a nice view.

Sounds perfect.

- Pierre?

- [man] Oui?

I'll leave you to get settled in.

I'll swing by tomorrow morning

before rehearsal.

We can grab coffee

and get you up to speed.

Sounds great.

- [Leo] 8:30?

- Mm-hmm.

- Okay. Have a great night.

- You too.

Bonsoir.

Wow.

Thank you so much.

That's okay. I've got it from here.

Thank you. Bonne soire.

[sighs]

Ah!

[man] Bonjour, Mademoiselle.

Table for one?

- Table for two, please.

- Yes.

Thank you.

"Table for two,"

that's nice to say for a change.

What am I doing?

I don't have work emails.

That's so weird.

- Morning.

- Oh, hi.

- How was your night? Get some sleep?

- I tried.

I'm anxious about meeting Henry.

I hope I can live up to his expectations.

I'm still trying to live up

to his expectations.

[both laugh]

- Would you like to order?

- Caf au lait and a croissant, please.

Un caf pour moi, s'il vous plat.

- All right. Merci.

- Merci.

So, I've been wanting to ask.

How did you and Henry meet?

He was a judge

at one of my early competitions,

and he saw me dance and offered me

a scholarship to his school.

It changed my life.

Sounds like a special relationship.

Henry's like a second father to me.

And when he had his health scare, I

I just knew I needed to be there for him.

- Is that when you came to Paris?

- Yeah.

I stepped in

to help keep his school running.

Thank goodness, our prayers were answered,

and he recovered.

[chuckles] And then he asked me

to compete in the Yuletide Pro/Am,

and I said yes, for him.

To keep his name relevant

in the competitive scene.

But it's been over a year

since my last competition.

Why did you stop?

That's a conversation for another day.

Ah!

[Emma laughs]

- [waiter] Caf au lait.

- Yes! Merci.

[waiter] Monsieur, caf.

- Et les croissants.

- Yes, thank you!

Des confitures. Voil.

- Enjoy!

- Thank you. So

The rehearsal schedule?

Yes, but just give me one second.

I want to savor this moment.

Yeah.

Mm!

If you have any questions,

just fire away. Like now. Go.

[Leo laughs]

- Can I try your jam?

- Did you eat on the plane?

[Emma giggles]

FONTAINE DANCE STUDIO - PARIS

Wait until you see the street

lit up at night. It's so beautiful.

Ah, and this is it.

[Emma] Here we go.

Oh!

- This is a good warm-up.

- Just ten more flights to go.

- What?

- Just kidding.

[both laugh]

Welcome to

Fontaine Dance Studio.

We're in the big room, over here.

[Angelo yelling instructions]

That's it!

Beautiful!

Some of the other teams

are working out here as well.

Oh, okay. They look ridiculously good.

[Leo] They are. [chuckles]

- The guy from New York.

- Angelo. He coaches two of the teams.

You'll meet the other contestants

at the welcome party.

- Welcome party?

- They'll send out an invite to you.

Oh!

- [Henry] Bonjour.

- [Angelo] Nice.

- [Henry] a va?

- a va bien.

Bon, bon, bon, bon.

[Angelo] All right, let's take five.

Good morning!

There's the man.

- [Angelo] Henry! Hello!

- [Henry] Nice to see you.

This is Robert. That's Estella.

Our new couple.

- Hello. How are you?

- Nice to meet you.

Good morning!

Morning!

Henry, this is Emma.

A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Fontaine.

- Please, it's Henry.

- Of course. I'm excited to be here.

Leo says you have something special,

so you get changed, and we'll start.

Okay!

Go easy on her?

[both laugh]

[classical music playing]

Straighten your leg!

Same again.

Straighter!

Good! Good, good, good.

You should make that turn more compact.

Sorry. I don't know

what's wrong with me today.

Inhibitions will do you

no favors in dance.

I only want to hear confidence

moving forward, yes?

[Emma] Yes.

- More compact this time.

- Right.

[Henry] Again.

Better!

Where are you looking, Emma?

Find the chemistry.

Yes.

I just need some water.

- She'll get there.

- Yeah.

- [Leo] She's pretty special.

- It's good. You'll find it.

Okay

So, you move well together. This is good.

But it doesn't matter

what steps I choreograph

or how well you execute them

if there is no spark.

We finish there for today.

- Are you sure?

- I can keep going.

We'll continue tomorrow,

but we have to fast track

your relationship as dance partners.

The qualifier is coming up.

Go out, spend time together.

Get to know each other.

That is your homework for tonight.

I should stay here

and work on my bookkeeping.

I know a great spot.

Okay. That didn't go

as planned with Henry.

He just wants us to be the best we can be.

We have to just trust his process.

Okay. So, how do we do this?

- We start with a walk.

- Okay.

On marche un peu?

Oui.

[Leo laughs]

[Emma] This church is so beautiful.

[Leo] Right? It's called Sainte-Clotilde.

I love all the details. It's amazing.

They have a nativity scene.

I always love that about Christmas.

Opening up the nativity box

and unwrapping each figurine.

My parents would always let me

put baby Jesus in the crib.

Paris is known for

its Christmas nativity scenes.

You can find all different types,

depending on the church.

This one's wonderfully traditional.

La Madeleine Church has

a beautiful contemporary version.

I like that.

Embracing the old and the new.

Something for everyone.

Sometimes, people can be

resistant to change.

I just think of change as

a way to move forward with your life.

Sounds like you're speaking

from personal experience.

[chuckles] Recently, I did something

a little out of character for me.

I quit my job, which is confusing,

because I really like accounting.

Wow. Well, you must have your reasons.

I'm figuring them out as I go.

[choir singing "Silent Night"]

Round yon Virgin

They sound like angels.

Yeah, they do.

Sleep in heavenly peace

- Are you hungry?

- I'm starving.

Okay, there's a great restaurant

right around the corner.

- It was Edith Piaf's favorite brasserie.

- Mm.

And, uh it's mine, too.

[laughing]

Voil pour vous.

- Thank you.

- Je vous en prie.

Wow. This cranberry stuffing

looks so delicious.

So, to the task at hand.

Fast tracking

what we know about each other.

[Emma] Mm! This is so good.

- Do we need to pause? Or

- No, no.

- Go.

- Okay, okay.

Rapid fire. Favorite Christmas song?

- "White Christmas."

- "Blue Christmas." So close.

Christmas candy?

- Peppermint brittle.

- Candy cane!

- Favorite Christmas meal?

- Baked Ham.

- Stuffed turkey.

- No. Absolutely not.

Turkey is for Thanksgiving.

Ham is for Christmas.

- It's... it's not debatable.

- Fair. I'll give you that one.

[chuckles] You do realize that, so far,

we have nothing in common?

- Yes.

- Let's just not tell Henry.

Definitely not.

- Shh.

- [Emma laughs]

- Okay, final question.

- Mm-hmm?

Favorite Christmas memory?

Okay [laughs]

It was last Christmas,

and I went to the theatre.

And I remember the curtain rising,

and there was this gorgeous girl

standing in a forest of evergreens,

with twinkling lights.

A handsome prince appeared,

and he was so

graceful and self-assured.

As the music swelled,

he took her in his arms,

and they began to waltz.

And

I wanted to be that girl

to dance in the arms

of someone like that.

The prince on that stage was you.

And it's a Christmas memory

I will always cherish, because

you're the reason I started dancing.

Wow.

That's beautiful.

Thank you.

- Cheers.

- Cheers!

Well, I can say that

I am fabulously fed and happy.

- Thank you for that holiday feast.

- It was my pleasure.

My hotel is back that way,

so I guess I'll see you tomorrow.

Whoa, where are you going?

We still have work to do.

What?

Thank you, Santa.

Boys, "We Wish You

a Merry Christmas", in G.

Let's do it.

One, two a one, two, three, four.

[playing "We Wish You A Merry Christmas"]

We cannot let this opportunity

go to waste. It is Christmas.

Let's dance!

Ha ha!

We wish you a merry Christmas.

We wish you

a merry Christmas

We wish you a merry Christmas

And a happy new year

We wish you a merry Christmas

We wish you

a merry Christma s

- We wish you a merry Christmas

- Come on!

And a happy new year

Good tidings we bring

To you and your kin

Good tidings for Christmas

And a happy new year

[band continues]

We wish you a merry Christmas

We wish you

a merry Christmas

We wish you a merry Christmas

And a happy

And a happ y

And a happy

New yea r

[laughing]

[applause]

[woman] Bravo!

- [man] How about a ride in the tuk-tuk?

- Oh, look at that. Come on!

- We are not half bad.

- I'm just trying to keep up.

You're doing just fine.

Htel Dokhan's.

- [driver] Bien sr.

- S'il vous plat.

[Emma laughs]

[Leo laughs] Of course. Mistletoe.

Yeah. I didn't see that there before.

I'll just step aside, then.

Best to maintain

a professional relationship.

Good idea.

Full disclosure, I have a strict policy

to never date my dance partners.

Smart. Keep things

in their respective columns.

Spoken like a true accountant.

Well, that's me.

That's you.

Thank you for a lovely night.

It was my pleasure.

- Good night.

- Good night.

Oh.

- [Cece] Hey, Emma!

- Hi.

Oh, sorry. Did I wake you?

- No. What's going on?

- Nothing.

I just got invited

to this very swanky Christmas soire.

- Awesome!

- No, not awesome.

- I have nothing to wear.

- That's not true.

I saw you pack your cute red dress.

[scoffs] That dress is so boring.

Listen, it's a Christmas party.

Everybody will be dressed

in sparkles, and I just

[sighs] I want to be dazzling.

- Why do you sound different?

- I don't.

Yes, you do. You never worry this much

about what to wear.

Okay fine.

Look, last night, Henry sent Leo and I

out on an assignment

to develop some chemistry.

Ooh.

Professionally,

as dance partners. But then

Ah!

It just turned into

this accidental romantic evening,

with fabulous French food

and singing and dancing,

and we ended up under the mistletoe.

And?

And nothing. He told me

he wants to keep things professional.

Are you falling for him?

He made it very clear

that he never dates his dance partners.

That doesn't answer the question.

- I have to go to dance rehearsal.

- Fine.

Wear the red dress tonight

with your highest heels.

You'll be elegantly festive.

Cece, thank you.

Now, go get some sleep.

- Good idea. Night!

- Night.

[phone beeps]

Bonsoir.

[cork pops, laughter]

- Merry Christmas.

- Merry Christmas!

You look quite lovely tonight.

Thank you.

I was debating the stilettos

after rehearsal today,

but I'm glad I went for it.

[both laugh]

There is our Emma.

Aw! Hi, Henry.

Wow. What a party.

Everyone looks glamorous.

These ballroom competitors

know how to put on a show.

They look all smiles now,

but in the qualifying round,

you will all be sharing the same floor.

- That sounds crowded.

- It is. And very competitive.

Dancers will do whatever it takes

to get in front of the judges.

You can be run over or boxed in a corner.

Oh!

I'm happy I'll have Leo behind the wheel.

Mr. Fontaine. Could we please steal you

for Dance Steps Magazine?

- Of course. Excuse me.

- Thank you.

[laughing]

You know, I meant to tell you,

you're rocking that suit.

Oh, this old thing? It stretches,

in case you want to dance later.

- Unless you're done dancing with me today.

- No. Never.

Come on.

There's something you need to see.

Okay.

There it is.

Wouldn't it be a dream

to waltz under the Eiffel Tower?

[Leo chuckles]

That's quite a romantic idea.

I'll add it to my Christmas wish list.

- [waiter] Madame, Monsieur?

- Champagne?

[Emma] Yes, sure.

- Sant.

- Sant.

Thank you for this.

I don't think Christmas

could get any better.

A glamorous party, the Eiffel Tower,

and a glass of champagne with

Leo?

Uh

I wasn't expecting to see you here.

Hello, Giselle.

- Are you coaching a team?

- Um

No, I'm actually competing.

This is my dance partner, Emma.

Enchante. I'm Giselle.

Oh, it's nice to meet you.

I heard you moved to London.

Yes. Yes. And I have a new partner.

I don't know where he went.

I look forward to meeting him.

Excuse me. Giselle, Leo,

can we have a photo by the tree?

Sure, yeah.

- Here.

- Oh.

- I'll be right back.

- Okay.

Very nice. Right here.

Mistletoe on the tree

Santa baby got a gift for me

Got a long way to go on his sleigh

But he's coming tonight

The mistletoe

I see Giselle has made her entrance.

She's a tough act to follow.

Giselle was Leo's dance partner.

They won the Yuletide Pro/Am,

and their partnership ended soon after.

- [Emma] They look great together.

- They are not good for each other.

You and Leo will be much better.

Just wait and see.

- Alright. Thanks. Thanks, guys.

- [photographer] Thank you.

- That was impressive.

- I'm sorry. That was a surprise.

No, no. The press loved it.

There he is! I've been looking for you.

Leo, Emma, this is my partner, Paolo.

- Hi.

- Nice to meet you, Leo.

Likewise.

Emma it's a pleasure.

Oh.

Paolo is a phenomenal dancer,

so be ready for some stiff competition.

Well, thanks for the warning.

Well, I'll see you around.

- Shall we have some photos?

- Yes.

Giselle can be gracefully strategic.

[camera shutter clicking]

- Don't let her get to you.

- Oh, she didn't get to me.

Did she get to you?

Tonight

And he's coming round tonight

- Good morning.

- Thank you.

- Hi!

- Bonjour, Mademoiselle. How are you?

Just trying to stay calm.

Our big qualifier is today.

Fingers crossed we make it

to the final round.

It's all very exciting.

Did you see the article about it?

Oh. No.

Voil.

[giggles]

GISELLE AND LEO, BALLROOM COUPLE!

YULETIDE CHRISTMAS SOIREE

[Camille] Bonjour. Comment a va?

It's important to keep her shoulder down.

It's not a bad photo.

There's a mention of your school, Henry.

- I'll see you on the dance floor.

- Can't wait.

Why did they have to use that photo?

Rehashing old news.

You think Emma saw it?

- Hi.

- Good morning.

- Morning.

- Hey.

- Uh I'll go get dressed.

- Great.

- She saw it.

- She saw it.

- Hey. You warmed up?

- Yep.

Okay. Look, I'm sorry about

that photo in the paper.

Oh, no. No need to apologize.

Let's focus on making it

through this round.

- Great idea.

- Okay.

[emcee] Ladies and gentlemen,

welcome to the Yuletide Pro/Am

- It's time.

- Yeah. Okay.

[applause]

And now, please welcome

our international competitors.

[uplifting orchestral music plays]

[music ends]

[applause ends]

["Skaters Waltz" plays]

Leo, Leo. Get out of there.

[applause]

[applause continues]

I can't believe

I messed up that transition.

I didn't give you a strong enough lead.

And we got boxed in.

Yes, yes, I saw.

But you managed to get out quickly.

[sighs] Yeah.

You did great. You did great.

Do you think we did enough?

I hope so.

[Leo chuckles nervously]

[emcee] And the couples

who have made it to the finals are

Number 23, Camille and Laurent.

Number 12, Copsey and Ayres.

Number 20, Estella and Robert.

Number 10, Giselle and Paolo.

I told you! We did great!

- Congratulations.

- Thank you.

[cheering]

And the final couple

Number 18, Emma and Leo.

[laughing]

Let's go. Come on. This is your moment.

[applause]

Congratulations, Emma.

[emcee] Let's give a big hand

to all our finalists.

[applause]

Got a little dicey in the corner.

Really? I wasn't paying attention.

[laughs] Right.

I can't help it if your partner doesn't

know how to stay out of the way,

but, for you,

I'll try to be more careful next time.

Henry. Excuse us. [laughs]

Bravo, you two! You made it to the finals.

Barely.

How about a little celebration

at my place?

- [Leo] That sounds great.

- What can I bring?

Your beautiful smile.

[chuckles] Emma and I will get changed.

Meet you there?

I'll see you soon.

Good work, both of you.

- Thank you.

- Oh!

Thank you for taking care of me out there.

It was an amazing experience.

It was scary and exhilarating

and wonderful, and

I'm never going to forget it.

What? What is it?

I'm just enjoying competing with you.

Good.

- Shall we?

- Yes.

Okay, what should we get Henry?

Maybe flowers?

[Leo laughs]

- I have the perfect idea. Come on.

- Okay.

I am starting to regret the idea

of you talking me into a Christmas tree.

Why would you even say that?

This is the best idea ever.

- Let's put it down here.

- You hold the door open, and I'll push.

Got it.

[beeping]

- Okay.

- All right.

[Leo laughs]

What happened?

Alright, come on. We're dancers.

We can do this.

Five, six, seven, eight

Okay, here we go. Bonsoir.

Back up, back up, back up Madame.

Hi. Merry Christmas!

There you go.

Au revoir.

Okay. Okay, here we go.

[door closes]

- [Emma] Oh!

- Ah!

Come on! [laughs]

I cannot

[Emma laughing] Don't scratch the wall.

[Leo] If I can just get it

around the corner

Okay!

- What have you two done?

- We just got you a tree.

- [laughs] It's wonderful.

- Put it by the window?

Yes, yes. Right there.

- [Henry] To making the cut.

- [Leo] Finals, here we come.

- Cheers.

- Cheers!

[Emma laughs]

Today may not have been perfect,

but it meant the world to me.

This was a big triumph for us all.

Henry, it's your faith in us

that has gotten us this far, honestly.

I'm so grateful to be part of it.

Working with both of you is

the most special Christmas gift.

To go with this champagne,

we have some wonderful charcuterie,

cheese, and cranberry chutney.

Ooh. Can I help?

No, no, you stay here with Leo

and finish decorating that tree.

Oh, now that I think of it, flowers

would have been so much easier.

But a Christmas tree

is so much more festive.

Henry, your hearing is remarkable.

[Henry] Yes. I just wish the rest of me

was keeping up.

[whispers] How is he doing?

He has his good days and bad days.

Today was a good one. This competition

has been the best thing for him.

It's his opportunity

to share his gift with the world.

- [Emma] Hmm.

- Through us.

Well, it's an honor.

I will trade you this woodland deer

for that ballerina.

I want her to leap so high,

she reaches the top of the tree.

How will you get her up there?

Well I just happen to have

a wonderfully strong dance partner

to help me.

- Oh.

- Mm-hmm.

[knuckles crack]

Whoo!

[Henry laughs]

[Henry] Oh, the bread!

[Leo] Henry

Oh, Henry. Let me help you with that.

- Thank you.

- [Leo] What's all the commotion?

[Henry] Just me.

Oh, this is so lovely.

I'm so excited we're doing this.

My pleasure.

I'm really not trying

to mangle this bread.

I'm just... I'm better with a spreadsheet.

Emma is a talented accountant.

Are you?

I wish I had you doing my books.

I wouldn't be stuck with the mess

my last bookkeeper left me.

Why? What's the issue?

Where do I start?

Maybe by upgrading your '90s computer?

I don't know.

- It's not that old.

- Okay.

Remember that sound?

[imitates dial-up modem]

I like it.

Henry, why don't I look at

your accounting tomorrow?

I wouldn't want to impose on you.

Oh, no. It would be my pleasure.

- Thank you, Emma.

- Of course.

I'll get you a seat.

Buckle up.

Oh, merci.

- Merry Christmas!

- [together] Merry Christmas!

Bon apptit!

I see some billing issues

and several accounts that owe you money.

- May I review this back at my hotel?

- Where did you find this brilliant girl?

- I saved her from a Manhattan pothole.

- Wait a minute, I saved you.

- I don't recall that.

- You were going down.

- Is that what you're telling yourself?

- Forget I asked.

That's enough for tonight.

It's Christmas in Paris!

Leo, take Emma out somewhere wonderful.

You got it, coach.

Thank you so much for this, Emma.

Of course.

Rehearsals went well today.

- I think we're in really good shape.

- Me too.

We'll start early tomorrow.

We'll finish up the end section.

Now, you two, go out, enjoy yourselves.

- [Leo] Yes, sir.

- Thank you.

[piano music playing]

[waiter] Vous avez termin?

Thank you so much. That was wonderful.

- [waiter] Merci.

- This place is famous for its desserts.

We can't skip that. What should we get?

Something special,

and it only happens this time of year.

Treize Desserts de Nol, s'il vous plat.

- Absolument, monsieur.

- Merci.

I have no idea what that means,

but it sounds brilliant.

It is. It translates to

the "13 desserts of Christmas."

- Thirteen?

- It's not as big as it sounds.

- We can split it.

- Yeah, we'd better!

[laughing]

Um

Listen, I really just want to thank you

for helping Henry out.

I know he really appreciated it.

So did I.

It was nothing.

So what are your plans,

you know, going forward?

Uh

I guess I'll find

something different to do.

You know, I'll go somewhere

where I can be helpful

and make people happy.

- How do you do that?

- Do what?

You smile

no matter what life throws at you.

- Most people would be terrified.

- How could I not smile?

You and Henry have been so kind to me.

I can't believe I'm part of something

so beautiful and creative and

- Yes! This was a very good idea.

- [laughs]

- Voil. Pardon.

- Wow.

- Pour vous.

- Merci.

Bon apptit!

[laughing]

- [Leo] Oh, good. Oh, yeah. Right?

- Mm.

I never want to leave.

We're literally surrounded

by astonishing views.

- How many does Paris have?

- I don't know. I'm still counting.

- How long would it take to see them all?

- It would be fun to find out.

Look at that one.

Leo, can I ask you something?

Yeah, of course.

Of all the dancers out there,

why did you pick me?

When I came to Paris

to help Henry with his school,

I had retired from competition,

but the truth is

somewhere along the way,

I had lost my joy of dance.

And with that,

I lost a big part of who I am.

But

when I came to New York

and saw your sparkly eyes

as you lit up the dance floor

I realized that was

what was missing for me.

It's why I picked you.

Because of your pure joy.

[Emma laughs]

I hope to find that again.

I'm... I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

That wasn't supposed to happen.

No, you're right.

I I weakened there for a second too.

Yeah.

We should just [laughs]

take a step back for a second.

Yeah, of course.

I've just... I've seen a lot

of dance partnerships get complicated,

and it never really works out.

- Yeah, I understand.

- Okay.

- It's getting cold.

- Yeah, it is.

My hotel's just back that way,

and you should go to Henry's

before the snow picks up.

- I can walk you back.

- No.

- It's okay. It's just around the corner.

- Okay.

I'll see you tomorrow?

Yeah, bright and early.

- Good night.

- Night.

Leo?

If you want,

we can forget this ever happened.

That might be best.

Oh, Cece.

Something happened.

What does that mean?

[sighs]

Is everything all right?

I did something careless.

Leo and I took a turn.

Why are you being so cryptic?

All right. We kissed.

You kissed her?

Well we kissed each other.

Oh!

We were on a romantic bridge,

and the lights were sparkling,

and snow started falling,

and it was dreamy.

It just happened.

- It's not the end of the world.

- Well, it definitely changes things.

How did you leave things with her?

- We'll pretend it never happened.

- Why?

I just don't want it to cloud

our professional relationship.

Leo, I don't want to tell you

how to rule your heart.

But?

But I think it's time

you stop looking backwards

and start looking towards your future.

If you have feelings for him,

why shut them down?

I'm not so sure

he feels the same about me.

[Henry] All right.

Let's try it from the top.

[music playing]

One and two,

and three and four,

and five.

Arms.

Pull Emma closer.

Yes!

- Like that.

- Mm-hmm.

[Henry] Good.

Exactly.

Whoo! [laughs]

[Giselle laughing] What is it?

Stay focused, Emma.

All right.

- All right, let's go from here. And

- Uh-huh.

[Henry] And once more.

- Can we try that turn again?

- It's fine. Yes, yes, we'll do it again.

- Okay.

- You got this. Just go lower, okay?

- Okay.

- And

What's the story, Giselle?

Is this a friendly competition,

or there is something else going on

between you and Leo?

We'll see.

[Henry] Fantastic!

That's the emotional commitment

this piece needs.

- I'm gonna grab some water.

- [Henry] Well done.

Again. Turning.

[Henry] So, very good. Are you happy?

- [Emma] Yes. Are you happy?

- Well done. Yes, yes.

[Giselle] Save some for me.

Hey, Giselle. How are things going

with you and Paolo?

He's not you, but he's a close second.

[laughs]

How are you and Emma doing?

Great. She's smart,

dedicated, hard-working.

You left out that she's very pretty too.

- That should go over well with the judges.

- [laughs]

It's all about the dancing, right?

Of course.

And if you need help with that turn,

I'm available.

- [Leo] Oh, we're good.

- [Giselle] Just something to think about.

- Hey.

- Hi.

You didn't give away

any of our secrets, did you?

Do we have any secrets?

You tell me.

Are we still talking about dance?

[Henry] Oh!

- [Leo] Henry! Let me get that.

- [Henry] I've got it, I've got it.

- You don't have to baby me.

- Yes.

I'm going to walk him back to the flat.

- Is he okay?

- [Henry] Yes, he is!

And so is his hearing,

as you know perfectly well.

Just a little tired, that's all.

[Leo] All right. I'll see you later.

Sure.

There's gonna be fun

There's gonna be sun

Because the party's just begun

There's gonna be smiles for miles

It's almost Christmas

There's gonna be laughs

- [woman] Bonsoir.

- Bonsoir.

- Je vous en prie.

- Merci.

[Giselle] Emma!

- Hi.

- Hi!

I see you found my favorite boutique.

I found it online.

That's pretty.

I know. I think so too, right?

Uh, okay. I'm gonna take a look around.

Enjoy.

- Excuse me.

- Oui, madame.

Oh!

That fits fabulously on you.

Let's see the back.

Oh! That's very flattering.

It's just a shame about the color.

- What's wrong with the color?

- Leo doesn't like green, does he?

But you knew that.

- We haven't known each other long.

- It's fine. You'll see.

There's a lot to learn about Leo.

Like what?

His commitment issues, for one.

His speech about not dating

his dance partner?

- He mentioned it.

- Doesn't seem like it was too effective.

Am I really that transparent?

Look, just take care. Okay?

Because Leo can be a real heartbreaker.

Did he break your heart?

Oh, this would be fabulous on you.

It's beautiful. You should try it on.

Sure. Thanks.

[phone buzzing]

[Leo] Hey, Emma. It's me.

Henry's doing fine.

He's resting, so I'll grab

a quick bite to eat.

Listen, um, if you get this in time,

I'd love for you to join me.

I'll be at the Caf Saint Vernay.

All right. Talk to you soon.

- Merci!

- Au revoir.

- See you later.

- Bye.

Oh! Emma forgot her cuffs.

[phone rings]

- Hey, Giselle.

- Hi, Leo.

Where are you?

I just sat down at Caf Saint Vernay.

- You alright?

- Yes, of course.

Um, Emma and I were shopping,

and she left her cuffs at the boutique.

You were shopping together?

You sound alarmed.

Um, I'm not, really.

- Do you know where Emma is now?

- She's not with you?

No. I just left her a message,

but I haven't heard back.

I'm just down the street,

so how about I stop by

and drop the bag off with you?

- Sure.

- Great!

I'll see you soon.

Oh no wonder I haven't gotten

any messages.

[phone beeping]

[Leo] Hey, Emma, it's me.

Henry's doing fine.

I'll grab a quick bite.

If you get this in time,

I'll be at the Caf Saint Vernay.

- Thank you.

- Bonsoir.

- There you are.

- Ah, Giselle.

[exaggerated kisses]

- How are you?

- [Giselle] I'm good, thank you, and you?

Oh, that looks delicious.

Excuse me, could I have one too, please?

- Absolument.

- Thank you.

Here are Emma's cuffs.

- Great.

- She found a great dress too.

Oh, good, good.

So

what's the deal with you two?

Uh, why do you ask?

Well, I'm just curious, because

you might be bending your no-dating rule.

Oh, no. We are not dating.

Okay.

Then I'd like to remind you that you and I

are no longer dance partners.

I am well aware.

- Just putting it out there.

- This whatever you're doing

is not going to work.

What?

Trying to get into my head.

- That's what you think I'm doing, Leo?

- Come on, Giselle.

- Et voici.

- Thank you.

Votre cidre chaud.

Well

then here's to healthy competition.

[door closing]

Oh, one second.

You've just got a little flyaway.

Oh, come on.

Just stop playing with my hair.

I'm just helping.

- Just take it easy.

- [giggles]

[phone rings]

[Camille] Should someone

pick up your tray?

- Yes, thank you.

- Trs bien.

- [sighs]

- [knock on door]

Oh! Just a second.

- Hey.

- Oh.

I wasn't expecting you.

- Um how's Henry?

- He's better, yeah.

That's great.

Um, yeah, he just overdid it a little.

Did you get my message?

I called you and didn't hear anything.

I was just, I don't know,

getting a little worried.

Well, as you can see,

I'm, uh, perfectly fine.

Yeah, yeah.

That's a very pretty dress.

Thank you.

Do you want to go downstairs

and grab a spiced cider or something?

You know what, I'm really tired.

So

- Um, have I done something to upset you?

- No.

No, you haven't done anything wrong.

I just...

I just really need some sleep.

So, I'll see you tomorrow.

Yeah.

Okay.

- Goodnight.

- Goodnight.

["The Year Ahead" playing]

[Henry] Good. Good, good.

Just look at each other!

What is happening here?

The final is tomorrow, and you're both

completely disconnected.

Please, try it again.

I'm sorry, I think I'm just

a little nervous.

[Henry] And again! We need to feel it!

Let's take a break.

You two, go get some air.

No, that's not necessary.

Let's keep going.

I need a break.

And a cup of hot cocoa.

Okay. Let's get some hot cocoa.

Shall we?

[Leo] Wait till you try

this hot chocolate.

They import the cocoa beans

from Niger, Ghana, and the Ivory Coast.

That's great.

You're looking at me weird.

Yeah, your enthusiasm

for all things new and exciting

has suddenly plummeted.

Oh. Sorry to disappoint.

Okay, what is it?

I'd like to help, if I can.

No, there's nothing you can do.

I just need to manage my expectations.

Expectations with the competition?

Or with me?

We haven't talked about it,

but what happened on that bridge

It was a mistake.

Yes. We shouldn't let it distract us

from the reason we're here.

I got the memo.

Chemistry on the dance floor,

and then everything comes to a halt

when the music stops.

Got it.

- It's the one thing we can control.

- The one thing you can control, Leo.

Unfortunately, I don't have your aptitude

for turning my feelings on and off.

- What does that mean?

- Don't worry about it, Leo.

Let's just focus on the dance.

[Emma sighs]

Emma

[melancholy music playing]

Henry, wait. Let's talk this out.

What is there to talk about?

The championship is tomorrow,

and you are both caught up

in some battle of wills.

I'm sorry. It's my fault.

I let my emotions get the best of me.

That's not what's happening here.

You're both shutting down your emotions.

What's wrong with you two?

You have your entire lives ahead of you,

and yet you're wasting time

being so careful

that you can't even see

what's right in front of your face.

And if that's the way

you are going to dance my piece,

then I'd rather throw in the towel now.

Please, don't say that, Henry.

We'll give it our best tomorrow,

to take home a win for your school.

My dear, don't you understand?

I don't care about winning.

I want to inspire people

to feel something...

Hope, promise, love.

Okay, then tell us what we can do.

Start believing in yourselves.

Believe in each other.

You want to know what I care about?

Creating something so beautiful

that it's impossible to forget.

Can you help me do that?

Give a performance

that will stand the test of time?

We can try.

Just trying isn't enough.

Call it a clich

Pardon.

Hoping that the snow will fall

Will fall on Christmas Day

Troubles left behind

Fires burning brigh t

Votre cidre chaud.

- Merci.

- Je vous en prie.

Is all we need to know

Driving my way home

[phone buzzes]

To you

Christmas

Hi.

Hey there. I just got to work.

I'm wearing the new gloves you gave me.

I love them.

They are so me.

You weren't supposed to open those

'til Christmas. So naughty.

- I have no willpower.

- I'm very happy that you like them.

Anyway, I'm just calling

to wish you good luck for tomorrow.

- I'll be watching the live stream.

- Thank you.

- But you don't have to do that.

- Are you kidding?

I wouldn't miss it.

Oh

So, how are you?

Wait, you can't change the subject.

What's wrong?

Nothing.

And everything.

Henry's disappointed in me

because I'm upset with Leo,

who is seeing his old flame,

which shouldn't matter to me,

but I'm bent out of shape.

Wait, that was a lot of drama

for one sentence.

- When did all this happen?

- In the last 48 hours.

Okay, you have taken this break

to find out what makes you happy.

Which I have made

a complete mess of so far.

It's all part of the journey.

Mistakes are the dues one pays

for a full life.

That's interesting.

I borrowed that quote from Sophia Loren.

Just focus on one day at a time.

Tomorrow is a brand-new experience.

Whatever you're feeling,

just let it out on that dance floor.

I will.

- You're such a good friend.

- Love you.

Bye!

Bye.

[phone beeps off]

This Christmas for you

- Hey.

- Hi.

How are you feeling?

Uh, excited and nervous.

More nervous.

You're going to be great.

[emcee] Mesdames et Messieurs,

welcome to the Yuletide Pro/Am

Ballroom Championship Finals.

[applause]

Let's put our hands together

for our first competing couple.

Yes! It's starting!

From Dance Sport Academy, Chicago,

please welcome Copsey and Ayres!

[sighs]

["Jingle Bells Swing" playing]

You got this, okay? We're good.

- We're ready for you.

- Okay.

[applause]

Hi, Emma. Did you get your cuffs?

I gave them to Leo at dinner.

Yes, yes. They're in my bag.

Sorry, I forgot.

Okay, well, good luck.

- You too.

- Here you go.

Yeah, Giselle stopped by Caf Saint Vernay

and dropped them off.

- Yeah yeah.

- Please welcome Giselle and Paolo!

I know. I, uh I saw you with her.

["Shepherd's Bell Carol" playing]

Why didn't you say anything?

I didn't want to interrupt.

You seemed captivated at the time.

I'm sorry. It's none of my business.

You can see whoever you want to see.

- Emma

- You don't owe me an explanation.

Yes, I do. Giselle and I have

a complicated past,

but whatever we had is over.

I understand.

I don't think you do.

[music swells]

How are you two holding up?

- Great.

- Wonderful.

Yeah.

It's been a demanding time for us all,

and I didn't help yesterday

with my theatrics.

No, you were right.

You have worked hard,

and you're prepared.

This is the time to put everything aside

and dance with your hearts.

Now, get out there and tell your story.

- Thank you, Henry.

- Thank you.

What is our story, Leo?

We have to write it together.

[Emma] I'd love that.

- Emma, Leo. You're up next.

- Thank you.

- [music ends]

- [applause]

[emcee] And now

representing Paris'

Fontaine School of Dance,

please welcome to the floor

Emma and Leo!

[office phone ringing]

[applause dies down]

O Holy Night

The stars are brightly shining

It is the night

of our dear Savior's birth

Long lay the world

In sin and error pining

'Til He appeared

And the soul felt its worth

Fall on your knees

O hear the Angels' voices

O night divine

O night

When He was born

O

Night divine

O night

O night divine

[song ends, wild applause]

[wild cheering and applause]

Bravo!

Yes, Emma! Yes!

- Oh!

- [phones ringing]

[wild applause]

Bravo!

[wild applause continues]

[wild cheering and applause]

[romantic music swelling]

It's not a bad way to spend Christmas Eve.

Since Santa was busy, I thought I'd help

and give you your Christmas wish.

Oh. I wanted to give you

the Pro/Am trophy as your present.

- Are you disappointed we didn't win?

- Oh, no, not at all.

I won something a lot more important.

And what is that?

Your heart.

- And about that kiss on the dance floor

- Yes?

Definitely not a mistake.

Well, that's a relief,

because it's something I'll never forget.

[sleigh bells jingling]

["A Paris Christmas Waltz" playing]

[Leo] Tu es belle.

[waltz ends]

As we look back through the years

From the laughter, joy, and tears

There is music playing

Lights are saying

Dreams will now come true

Take me in your arms, we'll dance

The time for love is here to stay

Never want this time to end

Don't let it slip away

And it's time for us

to shout and cheer

Because we all know

that Christmastime is here

Christmastime is here