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 time. The experience emboldened Misty and told her that she wasn’t alone — and her dream wasn’t impossible.
In the years since, Misty has only learned more about the trailblazing women who made her own success possible by pushing back against repression and racism with their talent and tenacity. Misty brings these women’s stories to a new generation of readers and gives them the recognition they deserve. With an introduction about the legacy these women have had on dance and on her own career, this gorgeously illustrated book delves into the stories of 27 women of color who fundamentally changed the landscape of American ballet from the early 20th century to today.
"Each spread features a dense page of text on the recto beneath the dancer’s name, with one of Barnes’s elegant, full-page illustrations on the verso, presenting each dancer in a striking, graceful position against neutral-colored backgrounds, accented by a gentle wash of watercolor and a quote. Copeland relays memories, struggles, and factoids in honest, accessible prose.... A valuable tome for fans of Copeland, ballet, or those interested in history books spotlighting Black women luminaries." — Publishers Weekly
Recommended Age | 9 - 12 |
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Author | Misty Copeland |
Illustrator | Salena Barnes |
ISBN | 1534474242 |
Publication Date | Nov 2, 2021 |
Publisher | Aladdin |
Language | English |