Misty Copeland made history by becoming the first African American female principal dancer for the American Ballet Theatre. The bestselling author of Life in Motion and the children's books, Firebird, Bunheads, and Black Ballerinas, she is the recipient of the Leonore Annenberg Fellowship in the Arts and an inductee into the Boys and Girls Club Alumni Hall of Fame. In 2015, Misty was named to Time magazine's 100 list and was one of Glamour magazine's "Women of the Year." She lives in New York City. Visit her online at MistyCopeland.com.

Determination meets dance in this prizewinning and New York Times bestselling memoir by the history-making ballerina Misty Copeland, vividly recounting the story of her journey to become the first African American female principal ballerina at the prestigious American Ballet Theatre.
When she first placed her hands on the barre at an after-school community center, no one expected thirteen-year-old Misty Copeland to become one of America's most groundbreaking dancers. A true prodigy, she was attempting in months roles that take most dancers years to master. But when Misty became caught between the control and comfort she found in the world of ballet and the harsh realities of her own life, she had to choose to embrace both her identity and her dreams, and find the courage to be one of a kind.

With an insider's passion, Misty opens a window into the life of an artist who lives life center stage, from behind the scenes at her first classes to her triumphant roles in some of the world's most iconic ballets. A sensational memoir as "sensitive" and "clear-eyed" (The Washington Post) as her dancing, Life in Motion is a story of passion, identity, and grace for anyone who has dared to dream of a different life.