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[2019]., Henry Holt and Company Call No: B Availability:2 of 2 At Location(s) Summary Note: A lyrical picture book biography of Janet Collins, the first African American principal dancer at the Metropolitan Opera House. Janet Collins wanted to be a ballerina in the 1930s and 40s, a time when racial segregation was widespread in the United States. Janet pursued dance with a passion, despite being rejected from discriminatory dance schools. When she was accepted into the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo as a teenager on the condition that she paint her skin white for performances, Janet refused. She continued to go after her dreams, never compromising her values along the way. From her early childhood lessons to the height of her success as the first African American prima ballerina in the Metropolitan Opera, Brave Ballerina is the story of a remarkable pioneer as told by Michelle Meadows, with fantastic illustrations from Ebony Glenn.
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2018., Juvenile, Scholastic Inc. Call No: Biography COPELAND Availability:1 of 1 At Location(s) Summary Note: "The A Girl Named series tells the stories of how ordinary American girls grew up to be extraordinary American women. Misty Copeland became the first African American Female Principal Dancer for the American Ballet Theatre, but how did she get there?"--
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2018., Scholastic Inc. Call No: JNF007060 Availability:2 of 2 At Location(s) Summary Note: "The A Girl Named series tells the stories of how ordinary American girls grew up to be extraordinary American women. Misty Copeland became the first African American Female Principal Dancer for the American Ballet Theatre, but how did she get there?"--
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[2018], Primary, Scholastic Inc. Availability:1 of 1 At Location(s) Summary Note: "[In 2015] Misty Copeland became the first African American Female Principal Dancer for the American Ballet Theatre, but how did she get there?"--
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[2014], Touchstone Books, published by Simon & Schuster Call No: B COPELAND Availability:5 of 5 At Location(s) Summary Note: In this instant New York Times bestseller, Misty Copeland makes history as the only African American soloist dancing with the prestigious American Ballet Theatre. But when she first placed her hands on the barre at an after-school community center, no one expected the undersized, anxious thirteen-year-old to become a groundbreaking ballerina. When she discovered ballet, Misty was living in a shabby motel room, struggling with her five siblings for a place to sleep on the floor. A true prodigy, she was dancing en pointe within three months of taking her first dance class and performing professionally in just over a year: a feat unheard of for any classical dancer. But when Misty became caught between the control and comfort she found in the world of ballet and the harsh realities of her own life (culminating in a highly publicized custody battle), she had to choose to embrace both her identity and her dreams, and find the courage to be one of a kind. Life in Motion is an insider's look at the cutthroat world of professional ballet, as well as a moving story of passion and grace for anyone who has dared to dream of a different life.--Publisher description.
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[2014], Touchstone Books, published by Simon & Schuster Call No: B COPELAND Availability:1 of 1 At Location(s) Summary Note: As the only African American soloist dancing with the prestigious American Ballet Theatre, Misty Copeland has made history. But when she first placed her hands on the barre at an after-school community center, no one expected the undersized, anxious thirteen-year-old to become a ground-breaking ballerina.
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2016., Juvenile, Aladdin Call No: B COPELAND Edition: Young readers edition. Availability:2 of 2 At Location(s) Summary Note: As the first African-American principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre, Misty Copeland has been breaking down all kinds of barriers in the world of dance. But when she first started dancing--at the late age of thirteen--no one would have guessed the shy, underprivileged girl would one day make history in her field. Her road to excellence was not easy--a chaotic home life, with several siblings and a single mother, was a stark contrast to the control and comfort she found on stage. And when her home life and incredible dance promise begin to clash, Misty had to learn to stand up for herself and navigate a complex relationship with her mother, while pursuing her ballet dreams.
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2016., Juvenile, Aladdin Call No: Biography COPELAND Edition: Young Readers edition. Availability:1 of 1 At Location(s)
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Juvenile Call No: B Cop Availability:1 of 1 At Location(s) Series Title: Breakout BiographiesSummary Note: It isn't very often that late bloomers are called prodigies, but Misty Copeland is an extraordinary case. At the age of 13, she began her formal ballet training, which is considerably later than most children begin ballet. In 2015, Copeland was promoted from soloist to principal at American Ballet Theatre, one of the world's premiere ballet companies. She has written a memoir and a children's book, and starred in the screen adaptation of her memoir. She advocates for inclusivity in the classical ballet world and as well as body positivity for young women.
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[2020]., Juvenile, Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Call No: Easy LYON Edition: First edition. Availability:1 of 1 At Location(s) Summary Note: Ready to Fly is the true story of Sylvia Townsend, an African American girl who falls in love with ballet after seeing Swan Lake on TV. Although there aren't many ballet schools that will accept a girl like Sylvia in the 1950s, her local bookmobile provides another possibility. A librarian helps Sylvia find a book about ballet and the determined seven-year-old, with the help of her new books, starts teaching herself the basics of classical ballet. Soon Sylvia learns how to fly-- how to dance--and how to dare to dream. Includes a note from the author and a brief history of the bookmobile.
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2020., HarperCollins Publishers Call No: 792.802 Edition: First edition. Availability:1 of 1 At Location(s) Summary Note: Ready to Fly is a true story about Sylvia Townsend, an African American girl who falls in love with ballet after seeing Swan Lake on her family's secondhand television set. But opportunities to learn ballet are limited, and Sylvia can't find a school that will teach her. That's when the local bookmobile provides another possibility. A librarian helps Sylvia find books about ballet, and the determined seven-year-old, with the help of her new books, starts teaching herself the basics of classical ballet.
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By Valby, Karen[2024]., Pantheon Books Call No: 920 VAL Edition: First edition. Availability:1 of 1 At Location(s) Summary Note: "The forgotten story of a pioneering group of five Black ballerinas, the first principals in the Dance Theatre of Harlem, who traveled the world as highly celebrated stars in their field and whose legacy was erased from history until now. At the height of the Civil Rights movement, Lydia Abarca was a Black prima ballerina with a major international dance company-the Dance Theatre of Harlem. She was the first Black ballerina on the cover of Dance magazine, an Essence cover star, cast in The Wiz and on Broadway with Bob Fosse. She performed in some of ballet's most iconic works with her closest friends-founding members of the company, the Swans of Harlem, Gayle McKinney, Sheila Rohan, Marcia Sells, and Karlya Shelton-for the Queen of England and Mick Jagger, with Josephine Baker, at the White House, and beyond. Some forty years later, when Lydia's granddaughter wanted to show her own ballet class evidence of her grandmother's success, she found almost none, but for some yellowing photographs and programs in the family basement. Lydia had struggled for years to reckon with the erasure of her success, as all the Swans had. Still united as sisters in the present, they decided it was time to share their story themselves. Captivating, rich in vivid detail and character, and steeped in the glamor and grit of professional ballet, The Swans of Harlem is a riveting account of five extraordinarily accomplished women, a celebration of their historic careers, and a window into the robust history of Black ballet, hidden for too long"--Provided by publisher.
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2016., Adolescent, Ember Call No: B Edition: First Ember edition 2016. Availability:1 of 1 At Location(s) Summary Note: "Long before Micaela DePrince became a member of the world-famous Dutch National Ballet, her dramatic journey began in war-torn Sierra Leone. Known as Number 27 at the orphanage, she was tormented as a 'devil child' due to a condition that makes her skin appear spotted. But at this same orphanage, she found a picture of a ballerina that would change her life and allow her to take flight. In this unforgettable memoir, Michaela shares her story: her childhood, her adoption by an American family, and her rise to stardom." -- Back Cover.
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2014., Juvenile, Alfred A. Knopf Call No: B DePrince Edition: First edition. Availability:1 of 1 At Location(s)Click here to watch Summary Note: Biography of Michaela DePrince, covering her early life in war-torn Sierra Leone where she was known as orphan Number 27 and made fun of or demonized for a skin condition, up through her adoption by an American family who helped her become a world-famous ballerina.
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Ã2014., Adolescent, Ember Call No: MEMOIR Edition: 1st Ember ed. 2016. Availability:1 of 1 At Location(s) Summary Note: The autobiography of Michaela DePrince, who lived the first few years of her life in war-torn Sierra Leone until being adopted by an American family. Now seventeen, she is one of the premiere ballerinas in the United States.
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[2014], Adolescent, Alfred A. Knopf Call No: Performing Arts Edition: 1st ed. Availability:1 of 1 At Location(s) Summary Note: The autobiography of Michaela DePrince, who lived the first few years of her life in war-torn Sierra Leone until being adopted by an American family. Now seventeen, she is one of the premiere ballerinas in the United States.
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2014, Adolescent, Alfred A. Knopf Call No: JNF007060 Edition: 1st ed. Availability:1 of 1 At Location(s) Summary Note: The autobiography of Michaela DePrince, who lived the first few years of her life in war-torn Sierra Leone until being adopted by an American family. Now seventeen, she is one of the premiere ballerinas in the United States.
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2014., Juvenile, Alfred A. Knopf Call No: HI-INT B DEP Edition: First edition. Availability:1 of 1 At Location(s) Summary Note: Biography of Michaela DePrince, covering her early life in war-torn Sierra Leone where she was known as orphan Number 27 and made fun of or demonized for a skin condition, up through her adoption by an American family who helped her become a world-famous ballerina.
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2014., Juvenile, Alfred A. Knopf Call No: B DEP Edition: First edition. Availability:1 of 1 At Location(s) Summary Note: Biography of Michaela DePrince, covering her early life in war-torn Sierra Leone where she was known as orphan Number 27 and made fun of or demonized for a skin condition, up through her adoption by an American family who helped her become a world-famous ballerina.
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2014., Alfred A. Knopf Call No: B Availability:1 of 1 At Location(s) Summary Note: The memoir of Michaela DePrince, who lived the first few years of her live in war-torn Sierra Leone until being adopted by an American Family. Now seventeen, she is one of the premiere ballerinas in the United States.