Misty Copeland

Misty Copeland makes history as the only African American soloist dancing with the prestigious American Ballet Theatre. But when she first placed her hands on the barre at an after-school community center, no one expected the undersized, anxious thirteen-year-old to become a groundbreaking ballerina. When she discovered ballet, Misty was living in a shabby motel room, struggling with her five siblings for a place to sleep on the floor. A true prodigy,...

American Ballet Theater soloist Misty Copeland encourages a young ballet student, with brown skin like her own, by telling her that she, too, had to learn basic steps and how to be graceful when she was starting out, and that some day, with practice and dedication, the little girl will become a firebird, too. Includes author's note about dancers who led her to find her voice.

"From New York Times bestselling and award-winning author and American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Misty Copeland comes a nonfiction picture book celebrating dancers of color who have influenced her on and off the stage. As a young girl living in a motel with her mother and her five siblings, Misty Copeland didn't have a lot of exposure to ballet or prominent dancers. She was sixteen when she saw a Black ballerina on a magazine cover for the first...

"Misty Copeland made history as the first African-American principal ballerina at the American Ballet Theatre. Her talent, passion, and perseverance enabled her to make strides no one had accomplished before. But as she will tell you, achievement never happens in a void. Behind her, supporting her rise was her mentor, Raven Wilkinson, who had been virtually alone in her quest to breach the all-white ballet world when she fought to be taken seriously...

In her debut picture book, Misty Copeland tells the story of a young girl-an every girl-whose confidence is fragile and who is questioning her own ability to reach the heights that Misty has reached. Misty encourages this young girl's faith in herself and shows her exactly how, through hard work and dedication, she too can become Firebird.

Parker Curry wonders about what it takes to be a real ballet dancer. The first step may be opening her heart.

"One Christmas Eve night, Clara enters the Four Realms. There she watches a ballet that tells her the story of how this mysterious world of sweets, snowflakes, flowers, and amusements came to be. Clara learns the Fourth Realm is unstable, home to the tyrant Mother Ginger. But when Clara goes on a mission to save the day, she finds that while the story was beautiful, it may not have been entirely true. It will be up to her to change the dancer's...

Clara is searching for the special key to unlock a box from her late mother. Inside that box is a priceless item that her mother left for her. During her godfather's yearly holiday party, Clara almost gets the key but it disappears. She embarks on a quest into a mysterious world which has four different realms: a snowflakes realm, flowers realm, sweets realm, and the challenging realm where the key is. As she undertakes her journey she meets different...

Iconic ballerina Misty Copeland made history when she became the first African-American woman to be named principal dancer of the legendary American Ballet Theater. Get the incredible, behind-the-scenes story of how she overcame outmoded ballet culture stereotypes and near career-ending injuries to become one of the most revered dancers of her generation.

Iconic ballerina Misty Copeland made history when she became the first African-American woman to be named principal dancer of the legendary American Ballet Theater. Get the incredible, behind-the-scenes story of how she overcame outmoded ballet culture stereotypes and near career-ending injuries to become one of the most revered dancers of her generation.