PLOT : Few dancers reach the elite level of ballet; of that already small number, only a fraction are black women. Misty Copeland shattered those barriers in 2015, making history as the first African American principal dancer with the prestigious American Ballet Theatre (ABT). A Ballerina’s Taleintimately documents Copeland’s historic rise while shining a light on the absence of women of colour at major ballet companies.
The documentary is an in-depth behind-the-scenes story of how she overcame a tumultuous upbringing and near career-ending injuries to become one of the most revered dancers of her generation. More than just a ballet success story, Copeland's journey is a hugely inspirational, universal tale of perseverance. The film also explores how ballet’s emphasis on waifish bodies impacts the health of ballerinas while sending a negative message to young fans.
Nelson George. is an author, filmmaker, television producer, and critic with a long career in analyzing and presenting the diverse elements of African American culture. His directorial debut, the critically-acclaimed HBO movie Life Support, stars Queen Latifah, and looks at the effects of HIV on a troubled black family in his native Brooklyn. He's published numerous non-fiction books on black music history as well as a series of novels using the music world as a backdrop, includingThe Lost Treasures of R&B. Since 2013, George has completed VH1’s rock docFinding the Funk, Showtime’sBrooklyn Boheme, ESPN’sThe Announcement, andAll Hail the Beat, a short film for the Focus Forward campaign.
Length 1h 25min
Year 2015
Cast
Misty Copeland, Deirdre Kelly, Susan Fales-Hill, Leyla Fayyaz,
Distribution Sundance Selects
Production Rumble Audio, Urban Romances, Nice Dissolve
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Educational Material
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