Elle Magazine: Misty Copeland Is the Most Badass Ballerina

Perfect for newly independent readers—the amazing true story of Michaela DePrince, one of America’s top ballerinas.
 
At the age of three, Michaela DePrince found a photo of a ballerina that changed her life. She was living in an orphanage in Sierra Leone at the time, but was soon adopted by a family and brought to America. Michaela never forgot the photo of the dancer she once saw, and quickly decided to make her dream of becoming a ballerina come true. She has been dancing ever since and is now a principal dancer in New York City and has been featured in the ballet documentary First Position, as well as Dancing with the Stars, Good Morning America, and Oprah magazine.
 
Young readers will love learning about this inspiring ballerina in this uplifting and informative leveled reader. This Step 4 Step into Reading book is for newly independent readers who read simple sentences with confidence.

Power and grace define Misty Copeland―an influential ballet dancer who has broken through difficult barriers to become the first female African-American to be promoted to principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre. Misty has proven adversity can be conquered by reaching higher and working harder to define what is humanly possible, regardless of the path one chooses to follow their dreams. In Misty’s own words, “Finding your power doesn’t have to be scary. Instead, it makes you feel in control, strong, and proud.” Through the stunning black-and-white photography of Richard Corman and Misty’s own words, her inspiring message of hope, strength, and focus speaks to young girls and women. In the introduction, Cindy Bradley, Misty’s ballet teacher who discovered and encouraged Misty to develop her talent and follow her heart, gives context to the obstacles and challenges that helped Misty find her power and achieve success. “Misty Copeland is the embodiment of the American dream.” – Bill Whitaker, 60 MINUTES

Vinyl wall decals are the latest trend for decorating a bedroom, living room or any wall in the house. The decals are removable but cannot be reused. Please choose one of the colors upon checkout otherwise the decal will be printed in Black. If you would like a color that is not an option please send us a message to verify availability. The decals are die-cut so there is no background included. The package also comes with Installation Instructions and the transfer film is already applied to the vinyl decal. Please send me a message if you have any questions.

A behind-the-curtains look at the rarefied world of classical ballet from a principal dancer at the New York City Ballet

In her charming and self-effacing voice, Jenifer Ringer covers the highs and lows of what it’s like to make it to the top in the exclusive, competitive ballet world. From the heart-pounding moments waiting in the wings before a performance to appearing on Oprah to discuss weight and body image among dancers, Dancing Through It is moving and revelatory.

Raised in South Carolina, Ringer led a typical kid’s life until she sat in on a friend’s ballet class, an experience that would change her life forever. By the age of twelve she was enrolled at the elite Washington School of Ballet and soon moved to the School of American Ballet. At sixteen she was a professional dancer at the New York City Ballet in Manhattan, home of the legendary George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins.

Ringer takes us inside the dancer’s world, detailing a typical day, performance preparation, and the extraordinary pressures that these athletes face. Ringer shares exhilarating stories of starring in Balanchine productions, working with the famous Peter Martins, and of meeting her husband and falling in love at the New York City Ballet. Ringer also talks candidly of Alistair Macauley’s stinging critique of her weight in his 2010 New York Times review of The Nutcracker that ignited a public dialogue about ballet and weight. She unflinchingly describes her personal struggles with eating disorders and body image, and shares how her faith helped her to heal and triumph over these challenges.

Monica Loughman’s story is the enchanting tale of a 14-year-old girl leaving the comforts of home to train in a strict and austere Russian ballet school. She brought her dreams of becoming a professional ballerina with her. While many young ballerinas’ aspirations are unfulfilled, Loughman became a dancing sensation and was the first Western European to join Russia's distinguished Perm State Theatre of Opera and Ballet.
Not just for ballet lovers, this gripping tale also details the endurance and stamina needed to survive in post Soviet-Union Russia. Monica vividly evokes the closed and foreign world of ballet with natural assurance. Her book also reveals the brutality and suffering that often lies behind ballet's fairytale facade.
Ballerina is the story of a young girl’s single-minded determination to succeed against the odds. It is a truly engrossing story.