As the first female African-American principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre, Misty Copeland has been breaking down all kinds of barriers in the world of dance. But when she first started dancing -- at the late age of thirteen -- no one would have guessed the shy, underprivileged girl would one day make history in her field. Her road to excellence was not easy -- a chaotic home life, with several siblings and a single mother, was a stark contrast...

Picture a ballerina in a tutu and toe shoes. What does she look like?'As the only African-American soloist dancing with the prestigious American Ballet Theatre, Misty Copeland has made history. But when she first placed her hands on the barre at an after-school community center, no one expected the undersized, anxious thirteen-year-old to become a ground­breaking ballerina. When she discovered ballet, Misty was living in a shabby motel room, struggling...