

His deep, rich colors make even the portraits of the dancers at rest dramatic, and when the dancers are on stage, they seem to fly. Here she addresses the next generation as she imagines a dialogue between herself and a young female African American ballet student who claims she is “gray as rain / heavy as naptime, low as a storm pressing on rooftops.” Copeland reassures the girl that she had the same self-doubts, and “darling child, don’t you know / you’re just where I started.” Myers’s stunning collages layer strips of thickly painted paper to echo the wings of a firebird (Copeland’s signature role), whether they are illustrating the stage curtains or a cloudy sky. American Ballet Theatre soloist Copeland is just as graceful with words as she is with her body. Think you can simply write off celebrity books? Think again.


Firebird: Ballerina Misty Copeland Shows a Young Girl How to Dance like the Firebirdīy Misty Copeland illus.
