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Black Ballerinas: My Journey to Our Legacy
From New York Times bestselling and award-winning author and American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Misty Copeland comes an illustrated nonfiction collection 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 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 from Misty about the legacy these women have had on dance and on her career itself, this book delves into the lives and careers of women of color who fundamentally changed the landscape of American ballet from the early 20th century to today.
62 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 2, 2021
22 people are currently reading
465 people want to read
About the author
Misty Copeland
11 books257 followersMisty Danielle Copeland (born September 10, 1982) is an American ballet dancer for American Ballet Theatre (ABT), one of the three leading classical ballet companies in the United States. On June 30, 2015, Copeland became the first African American woman to be promoted to principal dancer in ABT's 75-year history.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
January 12, 2022
A lovely book of short one-page biographies of black dancers. Some of the biographies talk about Misty Copeland more than the actual profiled dancer (as in: her relationship with the person, rather than the dancer herself), but I still have it an enjoyable read. The additional illustrations are very beautiful. Recommended for ballet fans.
November 12, 2021
Beautiful illustrations, and solid one page introductions to each of these inspiring women.
August 27, 2021
It's like a collection of Degas... but in color! Salena Barnes' ink and watercolor illustrations capture the strength and grace of these powerhouse women. I love Misty Copeland, to be sure, but too often it seems like she's the only representative of all black ballerinas. Let it not be so! Misty has here gathered bios of dozens of her sheroes, telling both their stories and how they have personally impacted her. I'm particularly glad she included the one whose career I have watched since we were in elementary school together, the current director of Julliard School's Dance Division, the one whose physics-defying pose was on Dance Theater of Harlem posters all over NYC the year Misty first attended ABT's Summer Intensive, Alicia Graf Mack.
December 3, 2021
This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!
Hello, friends! Our book today is Black Ballerinas: My Journey to Our Legacy, written by Misty Copeland and illustrated by Salena Barnes, a striking celebration of women of color in the world of dance, past and present.
Historically, dancers of color have often been marginalized in, if not outright excluded from, the world of ballet, both in the performance and recorded history of. As author and famed ballerina Misty Copeland explains, seeing another black ballerina – Lauren Anderson – changed her conception of her own place in dance, and with this in mind, she brings the history, biography, and artistic contributions of twenty-seven other black ballerinas. Readers can get to know dancers like Marion Cuyjet, Debra Austin, Francesca Hayward, and many more – their struggles, their triumphs, and the legacy they are creating for future ballet dancers.
Gorgeous. With each dancer being introduced to the reader through a page of biography, Copeland’s personal thoughts or anecdotes (especially interesting for her contemporaries, whom she has often formed friendships with), a quotation, and a stunning watercolor-inspired portrait of the dancer in action. Copeland fairly acknowledges the issue of colorism within dance, yet presents this volume as an inspiration for future ballerinas to have to courage to change the dancing world, just as their (and her) predecessors did. The art is simply stunning, celebrating the beauty of ballet AND of the black women performing it. The subject matter and tone of the writing make this title better for slightly older bookworms – older elementary to middle grade – but younger readers like JJ can still enjoy the art and the inspirational quotes. A lovely book that shines a light on a collection of graceful and gorgeous women who are more than deserving of their spotlight. Baby Bookworm approved!
(A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)
Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!
January 27, 2022
As a huge fan of Misty Copeland, I have read several of her books. This book, "Black Ballerinas," is by far my favorite. The illustrations, which are done by Salena Barnes are breathtaking and contribute to the artistic flare of the book.
Although this book is about the black ballerinas who are unknown to many of us, this book also tells us a great deal about Mistsy Copeland's character as well. She shares the stories of 27 black ballerinas and their contributions to the elite world of ballet. Misty Copeland mentions something rarely spoken about, which is colorisim, and how it determines what(who) is presented on stage.
I appalaud Misty Copeland for sharing the stage with the names and stories of these amazing trailblazers that were here before her legendary promotion to principal at American Ballet Theater. Her value for their friendship, mentorship and respect for their work as an artist shows a great deal about the character of Misty although her primary focus is to give much deserved attention to these incredible ballerinas.
Although this book is about the black ballerinas who are unknown to many of us, this book also tells us a great deal about Mistsy Copeland's character as well. She shares the stories of 27 black ballerinas and their contributions to the elite world of ballet. Misty Copeland mentions something rarely spoken about, which is colorisim, and how it determines what(who) is presented on stage.
I appalaud Misty Copeland for sharing the stage with the names and stories of these amazing trailblazers that were here before her legendary promotion to principal at American Ballet Theater. Her value for their friendship, mentorship and respect for their work as an artist shows a great deal about the character of Misty although her primary focus is to give much deserved attention to these incredible ballerinas.
March 29, 2022
Exquisite illustrations.
I learned of several black ballerinas who are new to me. Enough information to make me curious to read more from other sources. Definitely a book for ballet fans of all ages.
I learned of several black ballerinas who are new to me. Enough information to make me curious to read more from other sources. Definitely a book for ballet fans of all ages.
July 16, 2023
I loved this book and I loved how many ballerinas they included who are just like me
February 15, 2022
Misty Copeland is one of America's most talented ballerinas.
Inspired from meeting her famed predecessors, she shines a mini-biography of 27 fantastic ballerinas who persevered and overcame countless obstacles to be able to dance and teach ballet.
Meet some of the most talented and resilient women of color in Ballet history.
Beautiful sketch illustrations by Salena Barnes comparative to costume design pencil sketches;
Inspired from meeting her famed predecessors, she shines a mini-biography of 27 fantastic ballerinas who persevered and overcame countless obstacles to be able to dance and teach ballet.
Meet some of the most talented and resilient women of color in Ballet history.
Beautiful sketch illustrations by Salena Barnes comparative to costume design pencil sketches;
January 1, 2022
I would have appreciated actual photographs of the women to be included in this overview of their accomplishments rather than the illustrations. (The artwork is lovely)
An important piece of dance history and glad that Copeland put it together.
An important piece of dance history and glad that Copeland put it together.
May 23, 2022
Definitely worth it for the illustrations. Absolutely stunning.
October 20, 2021
This beautifully illustrated biography collective highlights black ballerinas from early 20th century to present day. Each of these ballerinas forged the path for today's black dancers and have inspired generations of dance. Each two page biography shares some biographical information on the ballerina and how she inspired Misty Copeland in her own dance journey. Coming away from this book, I have a great appreciation of the rich dance history of this country. I wish this book would have been wrapped up better in the end, but overall, it's a beautiful collective and would make a wonderful gift for the dancer in your life.
*Disclaimer: I receive a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
*Disclaimer: I receive a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
November 4, 2022
This is an illustrated collection of mini ballet biographies of some of the black dancers that inspired Misty Copeland. First off, the illustrations are gorgeous! That being said, it was a bit tedious to read because the author chose to focus on only the ballet stats of each individual. It was interesting, but it got a bit repetitive. I would have loved to get a little more insight into the actual lives of the amazing dancers represented in this book.
October 23, 2022
Misty Copeland gathered information about 27 black ballerinas whom she had encountered over the years, and the result is a beautiful book.
I am embarrassed to think that Copeland was the trailblazer; however, there are many other Black ballerinas who came before her.
The book is organized by having a beautiful line drawing of a dancer on the left and a full text essay on the right. The text is not a mere biography as you might find on Wikipedia. Instead, the information is personalized by how Copeland discovered this dancer, how she was inspired by her, and any relationship (personal / professional) Copeland might have with that particular dancer.
The book is a tribute to those who paved the way for Copeland. However, for me it was a revelation. I read through several of the entries, looking up the women on YouTube so that I could see each woman dance (if footage were available).
This is a great book to help diversify what people think about when they imaging "ballerina" In their minds.
Younger readers can enjoy the line drawings and learn the names. The text itself is more appropriate for readers 13 and older. Many accomplished ballet dancers start dancing at age 3*, so perhaps it's the parents of very young dancers who are the best audience for encouraging more diverse dancers to pursue ballet. But this is also a good book for encouraging ballet enthusiasts to go to performances, particularly if there are diverse bodies in the troupe.
*Nevertheless, those who are talented, hardworking, and supported can start after age 3. I learned by reading the introduction that Copeland did not start dancing ballet until age 13.
I am embarrassed to think that Copeland was the trailblazer; however, there are many other Black ballerinas who came before her.
The book is organized by having a beautiful line drawing of a dancer on the left and a full text essay on the right. The text is not a mere biography as you might find on Wikipedia. Instead, the information is personalized by how Copeland discovered this dancer, how she was inspired by her, and any relationship (personal / professional) Copeland might have with that particular dancer.
The book is a tribute to those who paved the way for Copeland. However, for me it was a revelation. I read through several of the entries, looking up the women on YouTube so that I could see each woman dance (if footage were available).
This is a great book to help diversify what people think about when they imaging "ballerina" In their minds.
Younger readers can enjoy the line drawings and learn the names. The text itself is more appropriate for readers 13 and older. Many accomplished ballet dancers start dancing at age 3*, so perhaps it's the parents of very young dancers who are the best audience for encouraging more diverse dancers to pursue ballet. But this is also a good book for encouraging ballet enthusiasts to go to performances, particularly if there are diverse bodies in the troupe.
*Nevertheless, those who are talented, hardworking, and supported can start after age 3. I learned by reading the introduction that Copeland did not start dancing ballet until age 13.
November 19, 2022
A beautiful collection of dancers that have made such a difference in their respective communities as well as those in history that came before. This book contained snippets of quick history of dancers that Copeland has mostly encountered in-person that have shaped her and influenced her to be the ballerina and black woman she is now.
This is a good book to read perhaps after her autobiography, Life in Motion because I feel it helped me understand her plight better, but it is not necessary. The book spoke mostly of Copeland's relationship and encounters with most of these dancers all the while including some broad information about their lives and life's work.
You have to understand that this is not a full encyclopedia on each dancer, which is a bit unfortunate as I think it would have been an AMAZING project. But what it did do was make me curious to search more about these historical dancers whether online or in my local library, which isn't that more of an exciting accomplishment of the writer instead? To make us all curious to do our own research on these incredible and historically underrated black artists?
This is a good book to read perhaps after her autobiography, Life in Motion because I feel it helped me understand her plight better, but it is not necessary. The book spoke mostly of Copeland's relationship and encounters with most of these dancers all the while including some broad information about their lives and life's work.
You have to understand that this is not a full encyclopedia on each dancer, which is a bit unfortunate as I think it would have been an AMAZING project. But what it did do was make me curious to search more about these historical dancers whether online or in my local library, which isn't that more of an exciting accomplishment of the writer instead? To make us all curious to do our own research on these incredible and historically underrated black artists?
July 31, 2022
Misty writes of ballerinas that influenced her and share some of the history of Black ballerinas before it is lost.
Lauren Anderson - first African American to be promoted to principal ballerina at the Houston Ballet in 1990 and they had to shield her from all the death threats and hate mail.
Aesha Ash - the toll of being the "only" are described.
Debra Austin - first Black ballerina to be principal ballerina at the Pennsylvania Ballet. Challenged for her role by someone saying she had never seen a Black sylph. The artistic director asked, "Have you ever seen a sylph before?"
Might take me some time to make it through these. Disheartening to hear how difficult it still is with San Francisco hiring their first Black principal dancer in 2020.
Sad how much of the history has been lost, how so many were forced to go abroad to have a career, and how far there still is to go. Terrifying how the KKK threatened Raven Wilkinson's life during the middle of a performance.
Lauren Anderson - first African American to be promoted to principal ballerina at the Houston Ballet in 1990 and they had to shield her from all the death threats and hate mail.
Aesha Ash - the toll of being the "only" are described.
Debra Austin - first Black ballerina to be principal ballerina at the Pennsylvania Ballet. Challenged for her role by someone saying she had never seen a Black sylph. The artistic director asked, "Have you ever seen a sylph before?"
Might take me some time to make it through these. Disheartening to hear how difficult it still is with San Francisco hiring their first Black principal dancer in 2020.
Sad how much of the history has been lost, how so many were forced to go abroad to have a career, and how far there still is to go. Terrifying how the KKK threatened Raven Wilkinson's life during the middle of a performance.
November 15, 2022
Remarkable collection of amazing women and their legacy.
These women, who struggled to find a place in a career that was against them, stands as testament to their exceptional fortitude.
The illustrations of these women are strong and beautiful. Lovely addition to the work in every way.
I struggled with the writing style that primarily focused on how they came in contact with or shaped the author, without an initial focus on the author. She lays out the fact of challenges for black women as a given, but doesn’t always detail what those specific challenges are. At times, the chapters read like a playbill of credits.
Read as a nomination in the non-fiction book award category as a panelist for Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards (Cybils Awards).
These women, who struggled to find a place in a career that was against them, stands as testament to their exceptional fortitude.
The illustrations of these women are strong and beautiful. Lovely addition to the work in every way.
I struggled with the writing style that primarily focused on how they came in contact with or shaped the author, without an initial focus on the author. She lays out the fact of challenges for black women as a given, but doesn’t always detail what those specific challenges are. At times, the chapters read like a playbill of credits.
Read as a nomination in the non-fiction book award category as a panelist for Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards (Cybils Awards).
November 18, 2021
As someone who has danced in different styles for 20 years, the longest being ballet, it was amazing to read a book dedicated solely to Black ballerinas. I have long respected and appreciated Misty Copeland for several years as she is not only a ballerina who looks like me, but is one of the most genuine and talented dancers the world has today. So, reading her stories of these 27 dancers who inspired her journey, opened doors for her and others, and are continuing to make space for Black ballerinas was monumental. This is such a personal book for me, and it is definitely one that should be passed on to younger Black ballerinas who need encouragement to break into the ballet world.
March 30, 2022
This book contains short biographies of many Black ballerinas, dating from as far back as the early 1900's to today. Misty Copeland does a great job bringing the story of each ballerina to light and highlighting their contributions to the ballet world, while also describing the obstacles and racism they faced. It was inspiring and interesting to read about these women and their successful careers, but also frustrating to think about what more they could have achieved if they hadn't had barriers in their way. The illustration of each ballerina by Salena Barnes were fantastic, and really captured the grace and beauty of each one. I would recommend this to anyone who loves dance!
March 15, 2022
I'm so grateful to be able to learn about other Black Ballerinas. I shamefully was wholly unaware of this extensive history, though Copeland herself points out how little was documented making the history hard to celebrate. While there are so many names that I'd never heard of, the companies these talented ballerinas had careers at were often shared. Therefore I'm not sure why the acronyms of these companies (such as American Ballet Theater "ABT" and Dance Theatre of Harlem "DTH") were repeated in each dancer's profile - it made reading this book feel disjointed and repetitive.
September 17, 2022
Here we have a collection of short biographies paired with stunning watercolor illustrations of Black ballerinas. On one hand, it was a treasure to read and get a little glimpse into the struggles and the hope of these amazing artists. On the other hand, the author kept inserting herself into these stories for no reason, and I just kind of stopped caring how she had met most of her fellow dancers after a while. The concept and the art are magnificent, but I'm disappointed in so much of the writing.
February 8, 2022
Each two page spread has a full page illustration and then a full page of text about a Black ballerina.
Some of the ballerinas are current dancers, some are former dancers, and some are teachers. All are described through Misty's lens of how she met or found out about them.
An important book of ballet history and a catalog of companies and schools who supported (or not) these dancers across the years.
Some of the ballerinas are current dancers, some are former dancers, and some are teachers. All are described through Misty's lens of how she met or found out about them.
An important book of ballet history and a catalog of companies and schools who supported (or not) these dancers across the years.
September 5, 2025
amazing paintings. I had to see how most of the black ballerina looks in real life and their moves. short bios added a sweet touch. hard copy and nice cover, 👌 👍
i learned about many of them and knew one of them at a glance was in west side story, one of my favorite musicals since high school with a forbidden love ❤️.
i learned about many of them and knew one of them at a glance was in west side story, one of my favorite musicals since high school with a forbidden love ❤️.
December 7, 2022
Really beautiful illustrations of ballerinas, along with biographies that often include their personal connection to Copeland, and also the racism they faced along their careers. It's organized alphabetically, but I sorta wish it were chronological so the patterns could be traced.
January 1, 2023
As someone that loves ballet, this book existing makes me want to cry happy tears. Ms. Copeland opened my eyes to the struggle of so many young and beautiful dancers that I now want to see perform. We sorely need more books like this in the ballet world.
April 7, 2025
Absolute one of a kind. Misty is doing great work putting to light the legacy of black ballerinas. I don’t know anyone who has put more exposure on the topic than she has. I found this book in the kids section of the library but I’d say it’s for teenagers and up. Great read!
December 14, 2021
I learned so much from this one children’s book. I’m in awe of how little I knew about these amazing people.
January 4, 2022
Very cool and I have an edition signed by Misty. Recommended.
February 1, 2022
A well researched and beautifully illustrated history of Black ballerinas.
March 5, 2022
Absolutely stunning artwork portraying beautiful black ballerinas. Love it!
April 28, 2022
Inspirational
I loved this peek into the stories of black ballerinas. Their fortitude and commitment to their art is truly an inspiration.
I loved this peek into the stories of black ballerinas. Their fortitude and commitment to their art is truly an inspiration.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews