Book Report: Misty Copeland's Life In Motion

The KKK chased her out and threatened her. Everyone tried to make her blend in so that she didn’t make the dance look bad. When people think of an African American dancer they have this stereotypical picture in their head of what they think all African Americans look like. “You lack the right feet, Achilles tendon, turnout, torso length, and bust for ballet” (“Misty Copeland Seeks to Inspire”). That was what she heard from a dance critique before they met Copeland. In ballet you dance together and you typically are supposed to look the same and dance the same. Being the only colored person makes you the one that sticks out and that isn’t the same and people back then didn’t think that was ok. “And it’s hard to be the one that stands out when you know in a ballet company you’re trying to create unison” (“Misty Copeland”). That was a direct quote that she said about herself.

The first experience of watching a ballet, for me or any little girl, can be fascinating and exhilarating. Wondering how a dancer can be so steady on her toes as she spins in circles and leaps through the air. Watching a ballet, there is a feeling of wanting to be graceful, as well as the warm sensation felt by a little girl as she slips into dream land. My mom had taken me to my first ballet when I was 11 years old. When we returned home home, she signed me up for classes at the local dance center. The expectations to become a prima ballerina would involve much hard work and concentration. I knew when I started it would take years of steady practice and commitment. Learning the history of ballet and the famous

In an interview for ‘Elle’ magazine, Misty Copeland, a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre expressed her struggles with body image issues as a ballerina and how she believed it was society as a whole and not just

    Imagine reading a book about your idol and thinking wow I really feel like I am a part of their life.That's just what happened, while I was reading “Life in Motion,” I could actually feel and relate to what was happening to Misty Copeland. I would recommend this book because many people can relate to her book even

The early life of Misty Copeland were lots of living problems. She was born September 10,1982. She lived in a poor motel with 6 kids! Her mom had many boyfriends so they had to move constantly but they finally settled in San Pedro. She went to the Boys and Girls club after school every day. Cindy offered Misty to live with her so Misty lived with her. Misty became a better dancer from living with Cindy but her mom wanted her back so Misty was back living with her mom. Misty also started dance. When Misty was told that she had the perfect ballerina body she tried dance. She started dance at the age of 13. She started at the Boys and Girls club and eventually made her way to San Pedro Ballet. She

The focus on the perfect body was another aspect of ballet that Duncan disagreed with. Duncan herself was not very thin or muscular; she did not have the body of a ballet dancer, but she did not think that should matter (Daly 84). She believed that everyone should be able to dance and express him or herself. Dance should not be based on strength and body type, as

It’s a year later and Leah loves ballet. She’s even trying to get some dance classes at her school. All of her football friends took some classes of ballet and loved it as much as Leah so now they’re in ballet too! Leah overall learned how the knowledge that her mom had versus her ignorance that knowledge is always going to win over

Debbie Allen was born to Vivian Ayers and Arthur Allen on January 16, 1950. At age three she started dancing and at age four she knew she wanted to be a professional dancer. Her parents divorced in 1957, and her mother was Debbie and her siblings were encouraged to be creative and independent. In 1960, Vivian Ayers took her children to Mexico. When they came back to Texas, Debbie auditioned for the Houston Ballet School but was denied because the color of her skin. A Russian teacher at the school saw Debbie perform and secretly enrolled her. When she was sixteen, she auditioned for the North Carolina School of the Arts but was rejected because her body was “unsuited” for ballet. While she was in high school she put her studies first and went

At one point, Ryan asserts that thin bodies are the standard for classical ballet, therefore a ballet school choosing not accept applicants with a different body type is not discriminatory. Ryan goes on to express that she is troubled by the age at which children begin training for adult careers, another common practice in ballet. It is duplicitous of Ryan to cherry pick a certain standard of ballet in an effort bolster one part of her argument, and then critique another standard of ballet that isn’t in line with

"I quit" (Copeland 34). Those were the first words out of Misty Copeland's mouth as she walked out of her first ballet class when she was only thirteen years old (Copeland 34). This quote illustrates just how hard Misty Copeland has had to work to achieve the greatness she has accomplished. If one would watch Misty Copeland today he/she may not believe this. The clean lines along with the stretched fingers would leave the viewer to think she has been doing this her whole life. Copeland, being black, has had to overcome many barriers the common ballerina would normally not have to deal with. With her being only thirty-four years old, she has worked many stressful hours to earn her spot in today's dance world. She was born on September 10, 1982 and grew up with six siblings (Biography.com). She moved often during her childhood due to her mother having multiple boyfriends and husbands. Although her family did not stay in one place long, the one constant thing in her life has always been dance. Dance, being her only outlet in her life, enabled her to focus extremely hard on her training. Every decision she made revolved around her dance career, even at the age of thirteen. Her unstable childhood and life events may lead the reader to question: what qualities did Misty Copeland obtain that enabled her to become a significant person in the dance

After his return from the war, she continued teaching and danced small roles in Shawn's productions. This is where her career as a dancer began (183).

One of the many reasons Misty Copeland inspires me is how she doesn’t let anything knock her down. Being a dancer is hard, you see all the “perfect ballerinas” and it can really bring peoples self-esteem down. Dancers start to second guess even if they should dance, but Misty Copeland didn’t compare herself to anyone else on the dance floor. It wasn’t just her dance life that inspires me, her home life when she was younger is a big impact in many as well. Misty grew up with six siblings, her mom had several boyfriends and husbands, with her family constantly moving. At one point she was in a one room apartment with her family. After all of this happing to her she continued to carry on her personal life as Misty Copeland and broke all the barriers that tried to stop her. Instead of having her emotions take over and breaking her happiness, she continues life and that is one of the reasons why she inspires me.

From war orphan to star ballerina, Micaela Deprince has inspired millions of dancers across the world to follow their dreams. Becoming the first full African American female classical ballet dancer, she has changed the face of ballet. From her story to all of her big accomplishments, she is certainly looked upon by millions of young dancers, including me.

She was the fourth of six siblings of generally mixed ethnic heritage.Misty Copeland mother had several successive marriages and boyfriends, with the family packing up and moving under harried conditions at times. Copeland and her siblings eventually settled in the coastal community of San Pedro in California. Delacerna relationship and eventual marriage to her fourth husband was tumultuous: he was emotionally and physically abusive to his stepchildren and wife and would refer to them using racial slurs. Acclaimed ballerinas Misty copeland the first African-American performer to be appointed as a principal dancer for American Ballet Theatre. Aug 1,2016.

She studied different types of dance and incorporated them into her own technique. “Called the matriarch of black dance her groundbreaking repertoire combine innovative interpretation of caribbean dances,traditional ballet, African rituals and African American rhythms to create the Dunham technique” (“Katherine Dunham Biography” 2). Dunham technique is continued to be taught at schools and companies all over the world. Her travels to other countries always inspired her choreography. “She is credited for bringing caribbean and African influences to a European-dominated world” (“Katherine Dunham Biography” 2). Dunham’s use of different world influences innovated dance and created more significant choreography. Dunham not only changed how she danced; she created an entirely new