Loyalty is so incredibly thrilled to host Misty Copeland and Jason Reynolds for Black Ballerinas: My Journey to Our Legacy! This event will be held digitally via Crowdcast. This is a ticketed event and you must purchase a copy of the book on our website to be registered for the event. *Plus, receive a signed book plate from Misty Copeland when you purchase a copy of Black Ballerinas! While supplies last.*

*Please note that attendees will receive an email with the event link and password approximately 24 hours before the event.* You can email us at events@loyaltybookstores.com with any questions about the event. For any questions about your book order, please email orders@loyaltybookstores.com.

From New York Times bestselling and award-winning author and American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Misty Copeland comes her most cherished book to date that pays tribute Black ballerinas, both past and present, who have influenced her on and off the stage.

Misty Copeland was 16 years old, just one year shy of joining American Ballet Theatre’s (ABT) Studio Company, when she saw a Black ballerina, Lauren Anderson, on a magazine cover for the first time. It was that very moment which inspired and empowered Misty with the knowledge that she was part of a grand legacy. Fueled by a history of Black women in ballet that deserved to be widely told and celebrated, Misty was further motivated to pursue and achieve her ballet goals.

In the years since, Misty has been very intentional about her own journey to learning more about the many trailblazing, courageous women who made her success—and her very presence on prestigious stages around the world—possible. On those days when Misty confronted her own challenges as a Black woman in ballet, she recalled how the women who came before her pushed back against oppression and racism with their talent, bravery, and tenacity, establishing their own unique legacies as ballerinas.

Contributing to the preservation of the history of Black women in ballet has become one of Misty’s chosen ambitions. That’s why Black Ballerinas is one of the most important books that Misty feels that she will ever publish. Beginning with an intimate introduction from Misty about the impact these women have had on dance and on her career, Black Ballerinas delves into their lives and distinguished journeys, detailing how they each fundamentally changed the landscape of American ballet from the early 20th century to today.

Throughout the book, Misty presents a select few of these women’s stories that have personally inspired her, while drawing on her own experiences and insights. In doing so, Misty hopes Black Ballerinas will be just the beginning of introducing these, and many other, amazing women to a new generation of readers, giving them the recognition that they—and so many more Black ballerinas—so richly deserve.

“Part of my mission is to bring awareness to the contributions of Black ballerinas. To give a sense of the rich histories of those who may not be documented in ballet history books, yet whose careers—and legacies—are no less valuable and inspiring,” says Copeland.

The dancers profiled in the book include: Lauren Anderson, Aesha Ash, Debra Austin, Delores Browne, Joan Myers Brown, Janet Collins, Marion Cuyjet, Stephanie Dabney, Francis Taylor Davis, Michaela DePrince, Nikisha Fogo, Robyn Gardenhire, Lorraine Graves, Céline Gittens, Alicia Graf Mack, Francesca Hayward, Tai Jimenez, Christina Johnson, Virginia Johnson, Nora Kimball-Mentzos, Erica Lall, Andrea Long-Naidu, Ashley Murphy-Wilson, Victoria Rowell, Anne Benna Sims, Raven Wilkinson, and Ebony Williams.

Misty Copeland made history by becoming the first African American female principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre. The bestselling author of Life in Motion and Ballerina Body, as well as an award-winning children’s picture book, Firebird, 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 Glamour magazine’s “Women of the Year,” and received a Black Girls Rock! Award in 2013. She lives in New York City. Visit her online at MistyCopeland.com.

Salena Barnes is a Berlin-based 2-D artist. She creates illustrations, characters, and art assets in the fields of entertainment, lifestyle, and culture.

Jason Reynolds is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than a dozen books for young people, including Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks, All American Boys (with Brendan Kiely), Long Way Down, and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You (with Ibram X. Kendi). The recipient of a Newbery Honor, a Printz Honor, an NAACP Image Award, and multiple Coretta Scott King honors, Reynolds is also the current National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. He lives in Washington, DC.

Please note Loyalty has a zero tolerance policy for harassment or intimidation of any kind during this virtual event.

Misty Copeland and Jason Reynolds for BLACK BALLERINAS