Picture book
Firebird
Misty Copeland
A young dancer imagines what practice and encouragement might make possible.
Reading list
Ebony Nutcracker
Black dancers, choreographers, and the traditions they have brought to the stage.
Pair Firebird with Black Ballerinas for a family conversation about mentorship and representation. Misty Copeland and Michaela DePrince describe the institutions dancers have navigated. The books offer context for the African American Ballet Troupe’s Lexington performance.
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Recommended reading
Biography
Black Ballerinas
Misty Copeland
Illustrated profiles introduce dancers whose careers expanded possibilities for Black ballet artists.
Memoir
Taking Flight
Michaela DePrince, Elaine DePrince
DePrince recalls her path from Sierra Leone to ballet training and professional performance.
Picture book
Alvin Ailey
Andrea Davis Pinkney
A picture-book biography introduces Ailey’s childhood and the movement language he brought to the stage.
Memoir
Life in Motion
Misty Copeland
Copeland recounts discovering ballet and finding her way through its demanding institutions.
Biography
Katherine Dunham
Joyce Aschenbrenner
Dunham’s work in anthropology and choreography illuminates a major exchange between research and performance.
History
Black Dance in the United States from 1619 to 1970
Lynne Fauley Emery
A historical survey traces Black dance across social, theatrical, and professional settings.
Picture book
Amazing Grace
Mary Hoffman
A child determined to play Peter Pan challenges the limits others place on her imagination.