Ballet dancer and author
Misty Copeland
Misty Copeland became American Ballet Theatre’s first Black woman principal dancer in 2015. Her memoir and books for younger readers open conversations about training, mentorship, and access to ballet.
On the shelves
Books in the collection
Biography
Black Ballerinas
Misty Copeland
Illustrated profiles introduce dancers whose careers expanded possibilities for Black ballet artists.
Picture book
Firebird
Misty Copeland
A young dancer imagines what practice and encouragement might make possible.
Memoir
Life in Motion
Misty Copeland
Copeland recounts discovering ballet and finding her way through its demanding institutions.
From the Lyric
Continue the story
Reading notes / 01
A story for the stage
A family reading list about movement, imagination, and finding a place in the arts.
Read A story for the stageReading notes / 02
Ebony Nutcracker
Black dancers, choreographers, and the traditions they have brought to the stage.
Read Ebony Nutcracker