How This Ballerina Inspires Resilience Through Thoughtful Storytelling

Published: October 17, 2025

By Michaela Gordoni

Misty Copeland, the first African American ballerina to become a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre, teaches resilience and persistence in her new children’s book, “Bunheads Act 2: The Dance of Courage.”

“There’s so many tropes and so much negativity, I think, surrounding ballet and the way it’s depicted on film and in media, you know, where it’s cutthroat and it’s competitive and it’s not diverse,” the ballerina said on CBS Mornings. “And a lot of young people have a very different experience.”

“I mean, it really gave me the confidence,” she said. “It gave me so many transferable tools to be able to do so many different things in my life. And so I wanted to show like what it was like for me growing up, the joys and the camaraderie that can happen in in a ballet studio and on stage.”

CBS MORNINGS host and African American Gayle King was excited that the book depicts “brown ballerinas.”

“I was so excited because my daughter wants to dance ballet and these images are just so important to see,” she told Copeland.

Copeland agreed. “It’s been really important through this series to be able to feature different classical ballets that I think have a positive message and a story that is vibrant, but also, in particular with [the ballet,] Don Quixote, the main character, Kitri, is this very strong, independent woman. And that’s not always the case in these fairy tale stories, where she’s being rescued by a man, but she really kind of has ownership over who she is and what she wants in life,” she said.

She wants young people to understand that they can use their voice and have the tools they need to be strong.

The book is designed for kids ages 5 to 8. The description reads, “Misty and her bunhead crew are back! And this time, they’re excited to learn the ballet Don Quixote — a wondrous tale about a brave knight searching for his Dulcinea, his one true love.”

“The bunheads get right to work learning the ballet. Misty hopes to land the role of Cupid, and she knows the role of the strong-willed Kitri could only be played by Cat,” it continues. “But when Cat is injured and unable to perform, she weathers her disappointment with courage and a dose of girl power that would make Kitri proud.”

On Instagram, Copeland wrote that one of her goals was to encourage young people who are in a space that may not be “built for them,” reflecting on her childhood as a black ballerina.

“I’m grateful to keep telling stories that speak to her, and to all of you,” she said.

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