The days of Hewlett-Packard's Silicon Valley dominance sure do feel far away, don't they? The company has no clear future, a slew of futures, financial misery and now... inspirational ballet. Slow clap.

CNN Money says things have gotten so desperate at HP that the company is now hiring the Trey McIntyre Project, some sort of corporate dance troupe, to show up at its offices and help the computer firm think up ideas for better computers:

TMP's dancers show up at HP's headquarters — sometimes unannounced — and break into a performance right by employee cubicles. Afterward, the dancers lead employees through a discussion of the creative process and how a dance is created and refined.

It's worth noting that much of the TMP's dance work is done with schoolchildren and hospital patients.

Now, close your eyes and imagine this scene, I beg you. It's worth it. But is it worth it to the company, whose shareholders are seeing sinking prices despite a legacy stranglehold on the PC market?

[HP general manager of future technologies Von] Hansen says it's hard to point to any one specific breakthrough the TMP sessions have inspired, but he believes the creative vibe pays off.

Well if you're going to founder, might as well do it with a twirl and a dip. This is what it looks like when greatness fades. [CNN Money]

Update: An HP rep emailed me to say the company isn't paying for the dance-spiration. At least not directly:

No money has changed hands between HP and TMP for their services. While some HP employees may have made charitable donations to TMP on their own behalf, and TMP has participated in HP’s charitable giving programs in the past, HP has never paid them for any services.