INSKEEP: Overt racism aside, has ballet been a particularly difficult field for African-American women to break into?ĬOPELAND: Yes, and I think that the reason is the racism and not wanting to change this very traditional art form that has been the way it - you know, successful in the way it is for so long. So she experienced a lot more severe, life-threatening racism than other minorities experience in the ballet world at this point. And they were trying to kind of hide her and have her blend in and not notice that she was a dancer of color. In the 1950s, that was no small feat.ĬOPELAND: She was pretty much chased out when they were touring the South, by the KKK, who were threatening that she couldn't perform in their theaters or stay in the hotels that the other dancers were with. INSKEEP: Misty Copeland dedicated 'Firebird' to her mentor, Raven Wilkinson, the first African-American ballerina to tour the country. And for them to come out and support me in the way that they did, coming to the Metropolitan Opera House to see me perform that role, I think was just a step in the change and direction that ballet is going. It was one of the first really big principal roles that I was ever given an opportunity to dance with American Ballet Theatre, and it was a huge step for the African-American community, I think, within the classical ballet world. MISTY COPELAND: 'The Firebird' just symbolizes a lot for me and my career. We are hearing music from a famous ballet called 'The Firebird,' which is where Copeland got the name of the book. She talked about it last fall with our colleague, Steve Inskeep. WERTHEIMER: Misty Copeland wrote a children's book about her struggles and triumphs. And at 13, you are too old to be considered. You lack the right feet, Achilles tendons, turnout, torso length and bust. Unfortunately, you have not been accepted.

UNIDENTIFIED NARRATOR: Dear candidate, thank you for your application to our ballet academy. But what you hear is a girl who's just been rejected. What you see is Copeland - elegant, beautiful, athletic - dancing on screen. Last year, she appeared in a powerful commercial for Under Armour. It's yet another moment in Copeland's career that's important both artistically and symbolically. She's the first African-American in that coveted role at the ABT. The American Ballet Theatre promoted Misty Copeland to principal dancer. One of the world's most celebrated dancers has broken a major barrier.

Firebird book by misty copeland