Misty Copeland Returns To The Literary Scene With ‘Bunheads, Act 2’

While some people avoid challenges, others seem naturally equipped to face and overcome them. The latter certainly appears to be true for Misty Copeland. When Copeland discovered ballet, she was living in a shabby motel room and struggling to find a place to sleep on the floor with her five siblings. A true prodigy, she was dancing en pointe within three months of taking her first dance class and performing professionally in just over a year. Fast forward to June of 2015, the 43-year-old became the first Black woman to become a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre in the organization’s 75-year history. This groundbreaking achievement cemented the wife and mom as a trailblazer in the uber competitive ballet world, breaking barriers in a field historically dominated by White dancers. A bona fide renaissance woman, Copeland is also a bestselling writer. Her titles, Life in Motion, Ballerina Body, Black Ballerinas, Firebird, The Wind at My Back and Bunheads have made her a New York Times bestselling author.

Bunheads, released in 2020, was an instant hit inspired by the prima ballerina’s own early experiences in ballet. While Bunheads was intended for early readers, it quickly gained fans of all ages. Now, Copeland returns with Bunheads, Act 2: The Dance of Courage. Penned for children ages 5-8 in mind, this follow-up is centered around young Misty, her bestie Cat and their eye-opening discovery of the ballet Don Quixote—a wondrous tale about a brave knight searching for his Dulcinea, his one true love. Along the way Misty and Cat uncover important life lessons of determination, compassion and friendship—timeless values that Copeland says shaped her own childhood.

We caught up with the multi-hyphenate Virgo about reading to her own toddler son, Jackson, growing up houseless and how a popular Sesame Street character helped her gain credibility at home.

ESSENCE: This is your third Elmo, he was like, ‘Oh, my mama’s legit!’ [laughs]

Describe your writing process and inspiration for Bunheads, Act 2.

A lot of the things I write about are from my own personal experience. There are so many stories to tell and experiences to share. I let those things happen naturally. These characters are based off actual friendships and relationships and real people that I grew up with. I wanted to be able to give examples using art and dance or sports. It’s not just about this professional trajectory or competition, but the amazing transferable skills and assets and tools that you pick up by being exposed to these things.

The stories within Bunheads, Act 2 are about teamwork, comradery and em rel="tag">Misty Copeland

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