Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina

This is an awesomely human story of gracefully enduring and overcoming extreme adversity, and achieving superlative success in the process. The compelling aspects of her story and challenges are so many, but I will try to enumerate some highlights here: (1) Age - Misty Copeland's story should inspire everyone who has ever wondered: Am I too old to start this? She was adventurous enough to give herself a chance, and in turn, the world gave her chance. (2) Poverty - Copeland's story challenges all of us who see money and wealth as the only means to advancement. If you've ever asked yourself: Am I too poor or unresourced for this? Copeland will challenge you to believe the answer is a resounding "NO." (3) Race - Again, Misty Copeland did not view her surroundings as limitations, even when most of her mentors, her role models, and her peers did not look like her. For all who wonder: Do I have the wrong racial heritage to pursue this? Her story helps us see that often times the only glass ceiling that matters is the one we impose on ourselves. (4) Controversy - As a young adolescent who just achieved budding fame as a rising star, Copeland managed to cope with a media hailstorm of attention surrounding her family life and living situation. Her siblings taunted her because she was so passionate about a dream they could barely understand. And at times, she barely had parental support for her goals. If you find yourself asking: How can I be sure this is the right path when so few people understand my goals? or How can I achieve my goals with so much negative attention around me? Misty Copeland's story is also abundant with insipiration. (5) Being Black in America - While Copeland received some tastes of American racism toward African Americans from some of her father figures and members of her extended family, her skin color and her body proportions as an adult installed challenges that most (i.e., practically all) mainstream ballerinas do not encounter. If you ever thought: Am I too dark for this? or Am I too fat for this? Misty Copeland's story has gems of triumph for you also. Bottom line: If you are looking for inspiration, look no further. This story has so much for everyone. And it is beautifully written. I am so thankful that Misty Copeland has shared her story with the world. And I am so thrilled that I get a chance to continue rooting for her as she continues to dance and break barriers.

I've always loved Classical Ballet; I feel it's the most beautiful form of dance there is. It's something my wife and I share. When I met I her she had a Mikhail Baryshnikov calendar on her wall. She danced when she was very young. She introduced me to Ballet and Artistic Gymnastics, both she had done in her youth. Sadly ended by injury. We both love to watch "So you think you can dance." as it brings some fantastic dancers to the stage and some of the wildest choreography I have ever seen. It brought us "Twitch"! This last season we were watching as usual and I noticed a guest judge I had never seen before and I asked my wife who it was. She asked me, "You don't know who that is?" I had no idea other that she looked very serious. She said "That's Misty Copeland; one of the best ballerina's there is anywhere." I shrugged my shoulders, "OK." Her critiques were so precise and on point; every toe point; every movement; every emotion. I was like, "This dancer knows her business." I was impressed and I believe she was on for two episodes. My wife still was asking me how could you not know who she is? One thing I did know; she knows her business. The above notes don't relate directly with her book but will. I'm married to a Latina and she told me that she wasn't always welcomed in allot of circles due to her not being white. Being white, I didn't fully get it because I wasn't raised that way. The statement "This is for the brown girls." should and probably relates to all women or men of color. Reading that made me sad but it should make every decent person sad. Her story was a great read. It was one of a young prodigy being pushed and pulled in so many directions at a young age that tore at her feelings so drastically that it it was painful to read in some places. So many families have to endure hardships and many talented people whether it's dance, acting, other sports or academia are kept from them because there is no one there to see the talent. Those are the ones who suffer. I'm glad the Boys and Girls club was there for her and she was discovered; what a waste it would have been to have never seen such talent. Thanks Misty for giving back to those who helped get you started. The book is very open and raw; she doesn't hold back on any of her life story. It's happy in many places and heartbreaking in others. It's a journey of a budding artist who tells her story almost from when she can remember to this year. She gives those in her life who helped her more than just credit; she showers them with praise. She admits to the reader her fears and how she overcame them (I love Krispy Kreme too). For so many to take to her, shows a spirit not found in many people no matter what race they are. In the end her family is her biggest love and that crowns the book for me. I hope my wife and I can see her dance live one day; that would be a truly wonderful experience. That recalls the dance of Firebird with stress fractures. Most athletes would be sidelined with that. It boggles the mind how she did that. I'll check out Firebird when I get a chance. Thanks for a great experience.

This book will be interesting to both balletomanes and others. The story of this fabulous ballerina's life reflects the time and place she lived in and the changes and challenges in the world at the time. Good insight into two other worlds - ballet and poverty.

Life In Motion A vast majority of people face discrimination, insecurity, poverty, and several other struggles everyday. But some of those people overcome their struggles and find their sense of confidence. In Life In Motion, an autobiography, Misty Copeland breaks down multiple barriers as a ballerina and as a human being. The autobiography of Misty Copeland begins with her struggles in early life, before she started dancing. One struggle was that her family was constantly on the move and they had a shortage of money. Then, when Misty was thirteen years old, she met a woman that changed her life. That woman was Cindy Bradley. Cindy is who introduced Misty to ballet. She started studying ballet at age thirteen and at that age it was considered “late”. But she continued to dance and she fell in love with the art form. Once Misty was hired at a ballet theatre, she began to realize that she was the only African American there. She felt lonely and insecure. Her story creates imagery and describes the hardships Misty had to deal with as an African American ballerina. The book itself was very interesting. It was also believable because it’s about ballerina’s actual life. Misty thoroughly describes the events and struggles that she had to face in order to become what she dreamed of. Life In Motion includes what individuals have to go through in everyday life. The main character and author, Misty Copeland, has a very difficult time with being and looking different. She starts out being a shy, insecure girl. But through ballet she found her voice and passion. Ballet helped transform her into a strong, confident woman. She accepted herself eventually. Misty states in her book, “I will forever fight.” She had to work extremely hard to reach her goal. I strongly recommend Life In Motion to others, especially if the reader loves dance or has felt with discrimination and/or feeling lonely. It is an inspiring read. It is my favorite book I have ever read. Life In Motion is a book about overcoming barriers, making change, and never giving up.

Before reading this book I did not know about Misty Copeland. I've been so engrossed in writing my own book that somehow I missed all Misty Copeland's TV interviews and announcements of becoming a principal dancer for ABT, and her ads for under armour ads. So this book was my first introduction to her. Misty Copeland's story is fascinating. She did a phenomenal job catapulting the reader into her world on page 1. I, like many other "brown girls and women" can relate to the complexities of what it means to be an impoverished African American child trying to reach your goals. This book nailed it. However, Life in Motion is not just for African American girls. I think many of the themes found in this book is universal "working hard to accomplish your goals," "finding your voice," "the art of perseverance," "tools in relinquishing fears," "forgiveness." The list goes on. Misty repeats often that her goal going forward is to reintroduce the world to the art of ballet. She has succeeded with me. I plan to attend a local ballet performance and I plan to see Misty perform as well. Bravo!!!

I’m sorry to be a naysayer, but the writing was pretty ordinary. She is a fabulous dancer; she should have used a book doctor.

Published in 2014, this book reports the background and struggles and ultimate success of Misty Copeland, an inspiration to the dance world. When her brother screamed at her, "Dancers are dumb," she responded that he never understood all that it took to be a dancer. Dancers "had to meld so many parts -- our brains, our emotions, our bodies -- to put on a performance that hid all the strings. leaving only stardust for the audience to see." (Page 170)

Years ago I saw a segment on the custody battle for Misty and kept her name in my mental rolodex but didn't follow her career. Many years later I saw her perform with Prince and was elated to learn that she was a principal with ABT. This memoir gave me great insight into the confidence, determination & perseverance that make up Misty Copeland. Despite an early chaotic life Misty was fortunate that her talent was recognized & nurtured which ignited her passion for the dance. While I think her early memories were very detailed, it seemed that from then on it gets a little choppy as she glosses over events and skips years but luckily the detailed beginning of the book gave me great insight into the fortitude of this young woman. My favorite passages were (1) when she found out that she had been promoted to a Principal Dancer at ABT while taking a class at the Dance Theatre of Harlem ; (2) her 1st performance of Firebird and subsequent recuperation from surgery and (3) preparation for and accompanying Prince during his tour. All in all Misty's memoir is an inspiration to all who have a dream, work hard to pursue it and see it come to fruition.

Une très bonne autobiographie, agréable à lire et qui fait découvrir un monde méconnu : celui de la danse classique. Inspirant aussi de voir tous les obstacles de la vie que Misty Copeland a dûs surmonter, pour atteindre la consécration.

Era un libro recomendado y que me ha satisfecho plenamente. Además, me ha parecido muy eficaz su sistema de servir el material. Enhorabuena. Muchas gracias

I decided to buy this book as I love biographies and have been a dancer, a dance mum and a dance costumer. It didn't disappoint. Misty shares her journey openly with the reader in a way that opens the door into her world. The discipline of ballet is demanding both physically and mentally. Add in the layer of breaking down racial barriers and it takes a strong person to succeed. Well done. I hope one day I get to see her dance live on stage.

Ich liebe es! Biografie der schwarzen afro-amerikanischen Ballerina Misty Copeland, stark, mutmachend, mit vielen Opfern und Kränkungen verbunden - ein Sieg weiblichen Selbstbewusstseins im Tanz!

ABTの今大活躍中のソリストの自伝です。 初めての黒人ダンサーとのことですが、クラシックバレエ界では珍しいこと。 でも彼女は魅力的で美しいダンサーですよね。 ABTはやはり革新的なバレエ団ですね。 実力があれば、魅力があれば道は開ける！アメリカはやっぱりすごい！ これからも楽しみです！