Copeland, Misty. Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina. New York: Touchstone, 2014. 978-1-476737-980. 288 p. $24.99  Gr. 9-12.

“This is for the little brown girls.”
Misty Copeland has worked her way from a “shuffled” sort of childhood to ballet stardom and, through her writing and affiliation with Under Armor, Prince, and more is nearly a household name.  All this from a young woman who first took a ballet class at 13 (far beyond the usual 3 and 4-year-old beginning age) and who didn’t have the right “build” or the right skin color for ballet.  What did she have?  A seemingly innate ability to know and perform the moves, and soon, a love of ballet which fueled her drive to learn and to be the best.  As evidenced in her memoir, she also has writing ability that pulls the reader in, and a kind, forgiving, no-grudges-held attitude.  “This is for the little brown girls.”  It is a line she repeats and a role she takes seriously.  She sees herself as helping to open the body- and race-specific world of ballet to boys and girls of various sizes and races.  This is an uplifting and inspiring biography of a woman to admire not only for her ballet accomplishments, but also for her strong, open-to-life character.  This book fills a gaping need for biographies of contemporary dancers, and will be much in demand by young dancers in your school.  Highly recommended.
792.8 Ballet; Memoir   Melissa Scott, Shenango High School