I hate to appear seemingly from nowhere only to solicit the knowledge of some wonderful bradburyphile, but this, I feel, is important. Locating this one particular piece has become imperative to an argument I am to present on the evils of the "No Child Gets Left Behind" law (hope you're not a fan). It may seem a little dramatic to base the success of said argument on the presence of a single short story, but there must be a literature lover who can understand (or perhaps pity) the plight of an anal-retentive over-acheiver....

Please, the work I'm searching for is about a young man (a ballet dancer) who is forced to shave his head and eyebrows to mask his beauty and to don weighted boxes and chains to hinder his talent. I think his name was Ralph but, then again, I am in no postion to assume that I have the capacity for retaining important information. Anyway, one night while being filmed for a television program this dancer (we'll call him Ralph) breaks free from the chains and oppression and spends a few moments in glory, dancing with a ballerina of supreme grace who has also abdicated the instruments of the conformist society. A strangely beautiful prediction of a perverted (and frightfully plausible) future in which, I believe, the two swans are killed or imprisioned by the end.

This is what I recall--granted I haven't read the story in many years. I would greatly appreciate any help anyone can offer. Thank you.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: mad hunter,

HARRISON BERGERON by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

It's one of my all-time faves. I especially like the bells and 21 gun salute going off in dad's head. There's a movie with Sean Astin as Harrison and Christopher Plummer as The Inspector General (or whatever) and Fred Willard as the father. It's really different from the story, but I still enjoyed it. It had a Canadian feel to it (think newer THE OUTER LIMITS or early X-FILES).

Any one looking for authors, titles, collections, or other literary leads - try this:
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/main/authorsa.htm

This has been posted here previously but has since become buried deep in the archives. See "Authors A - Z," click and search the extensive biographies, dates, and a.k.a.'s that are offered. Nice RB details! Of course, we here are rather partial to pilnic's - http://www.bradburymedia.co.uk