Retired postal worker Shim Deok-chul, now 76, is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease but hides it from his family. Haunted by a childhood memory of seeing ballet dancers in Russia, he decides to pursue his long-abandoned dream of learning ballet.

At a local studio, he meets 23-year-old Lee Chae-rok, a gifted dancer whose career has stalled after a serious ankle injury. Burdened by financial hardship and his father’s hospitalization, Chae-rok has lost his passion for ballet. Their teacher asks Chae-rok to train Deok-chul, hoping that each man can help the other.

Although Chae-rok is initially reluctant, Deok-chul’s persistence and warmth gradually restore his confidence. Deok-chul’s family remains divided over his decision, but he continues dancing even as his dementia worsens. When Chae-rok discovers Deok-chul’s notebook of reminders, he realizes that his student is slowly losing his memory.

The studio arranges a special performance for them. By the day before the show, Deok-chul can barely move or recognize those around him. Yet when the music begins, his body remembers. Recognizing Chae-rok for one final moment, he joins him onstage.

Five years later, Chae-rok returns to Korea as a principal dancer. Deok-chul no longer recognizes even his wife, but he smiles when Chae-rok asks whether he remembers him. After Deok-chul’s death, he is imagined dancing freely once more with the people he loved.