Yolanda is a beautiful peasant girl who dances to her orchestra of wild songbirds. Her father forbids her to dance, but her mother, Olga, encourages her secretly. The Grand Duke Boris sees the girl dancing in the woods, and perceives in her the promise of dazzling success. Without revealing his identity, he gives the mother money enough to take herself and Yolanda to Petrograd. Boris establishes the girl in a luxurious villa. The mother and the girl think this is part of the ballet training. Youloff, the ballet master, is enthusiastic over Yolanda's dancing. Yolanda falls in love with Alexander Pribyloff, a young artist, but Boris, jealous, forbids her to see Alexander. Yolanda begins to see why Boris has been so kind to her. She meets Alexander secretly. Peter, Yolanda's peasant lover, and Serge, her brother, come to Petrograd to see her. Serge tells the mother that the Grand Duke must be keeping Yolanda as his mistress. Olga denies this, but her eyes are opened. Boris has the two ...