Review: Life in Motion – Misty Copeland

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

REVIEW

“This is for the little brown girls.”

One little sentence that holds so much power.  Life is Motion is the autobiography of Misty Copeland, prima ballerina with American Ballet Theater.  What makes her special is not only being a prodigy, is the color of her skin.  In the world of Ballet, the brown and black girls are few and far between.  While other forms of dance are completely segregated, Ballet remains the one where persons of color are rare.

Misty Copeland home life as a child was dysfunctional. To escape, Misty and her siblings joined the local Boys and Girl Club.  There she discovered her love of dance, specifically Ballet.  Despite Misty’s talent, she is behind in dance.  Most little girls start ballet at age 2 or 3, Misty was 13.  As a dancer, Misty was behind the eight ball.   Thanks to a dedicated teacher and sheer determination, Misty was able to catch and surpass her classmates.  She was offered  full scholarship, where her teachers took her to the next level.

As Misty’s technique and talent grew, so did her notoriety: The black ballerina who shined.  Her mother could no longer afford to send her to the dance school, her teachers offered for her to stay with them.  For three years, Misty blossomed under her training.  She auditioned for summer intensive (a special summer training with some of the top ballet schools in the country)  and received scholarships to attend.

It was there; Misty discovered she was different. As black ballet dancers go, it is always no.  No to not the right body type, no to not the right training and the biggest NO to principle roles, all of which Misty was able to prove them wrong. While her professional life with blossoming, her personal life was in a tailspin.

This book is a must-read for anyone who has a love of dance.  It chronicles the ups and downs of the ballet world, especially a person of color.  Misty gives us an up-close and personal look at a world few of us have ever seen. She doesn’t sugarcoat or leave out the messy details.   A role model for young girls that you can achieve your dreams with hard work and determination.

Mia

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