The Wind at My Back

June 1, 2022

The first Black principal dancer at the American Ballet Theater, Copeland chronicled her experiences in the New York Times best-selling memoir Life in Motion. Here she celebrates mentor Raven Wilkinson, the first Black woman to dance with a major ballet company (the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, in the 1950s), who suffered hostility and death threats for her efforts. With a 75,000-copy first printing.

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 29, 2022
Bestseller and renowned ballerina Copeland (Bunheads) recounts her friendship with and mentoring by the late Raven Wilkinson (1935–2018), who in 1955 became “the first Black woman to receive a contract with a major ballet company” upon signing with Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. For her part, Copeland blazed a path to unprecedented prominence, joining the American Ballet Theater’s studio company after only four years of training and later becoming the ABT’s first Black female principal dancer. Copeland draws strength from Wilkinson’s perseverance through harrowing experiences of racism, including having Klansmen storm the stage at a performance in Montgomery and leaving the Ballet Russe and American ballet companies at large when her colleagues revealed their discriminatory beliefs toward her. Met with resistance to her outspokenness about anti-Blackness in dance throughout her career, Copeland celebrates her mentor’s wisdom as she shoulders the burdens and thrills of her historic career, and aims to inspire other dancers of color who face similar barriers as they pursue their passions (“Listening to , I was reminded that... I was setting other Black women free to dance, to dream big, to ‘fly.’ ”). The strength that Copeland found in Wilkinson is moving, and she renders it gracefully throughout. This is an inspiring and insightful account. Agent: Steve Troha, Folio Literary Management.

October 1, 2022
A pioneering Black dancer recounts her hard-won success. In 2015, Copeland (b. 1982) became the first Black ballerina at the American Ballet Theatre promoted to principal dancer, 14 years after joining the company. Following up on her previous memoir, Life in Motion, Copeland, assisted by Fales-Hill, describes the challenges, frustrations, and successes of her career, paying special homage to her friend and mentor, Raven Wilkinson (1935-2018), who danced with the Ballet Russes de Monte Carlo in the 1950s, the first Black woman to get a contract with a major ballet company. With unfailing encouragement and pragmatic advice, Wilkinson helped the younger dancer navigate a profession often unwelcoming to Blacks. "She showed me," Copeland writes, "that we dance for all those who came before us and the many who will hopefully come after us." When she seemed overwhelmed by self-doubt, Wilkinson reminded her, "Every time you step on that stage, I'll be the wind at your back." She buoyed Copeland's spirits as she recovered from a severe injury and when she felt isolated and alone: For her first 10 years at ABT, she was the only Black woman dancer; later, she was one of only three dancers of color among a company of 80. A soloist for many years, she despaired about being given principal roles: "Would any Black ballerina ever shatter ABT's glass ceiling?" she asked herself. Wilkinson urged her to speak openly with the company's artistic director, and finally, at age 32, she debuted in principal roles, including Odile/Odette in Swan Lake. Although Copeland never faced the racial violence that Wilkinson encountered when she toured the South in the 1950s, she admits that racism hindered her opportunities and stoked her anxiety about "the reaction of critics and the jabs from online commentators that maybe I wasn't 'right' for these leading roles"--fears amply assuaged by her audiences' acclaim. A candid, instructive reflection on artistry, dedication, and race.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 15, 2022
In 2015, groundbreaking dancer Copeland (Life in Motion, 2014) made history as the first African American principal ballerina at the American Ballet Theatre. Such an accomplishment didn't come without hard work, dedication, and confidence, as Copeland was often the only Black woman in the spaces she moved through. While watching a documentary, Copeland learned about Raven Wilkinson, a ballerina during the 1950s and '60s. Little did the author know, though, that Wilkinson had been following Copeland's entire career--and destiny would ultimately bring the two together. This book is Copeland's ode to the woman who would become her mentor. The two dancers found comfort in their shared experiences, and Wilkinson graciously offered the author wisdom on life, grief, love, and finding one's place in the world. Their friendship changed the world of classical dance. These pages are a heartfelt tribute to Wilkinson, who passed away in 2018, and an acknowledgment of her remarkable life and career. Copeland has gracefully accepted the challenge to continue to improve dance--and humanity--in honor of Wilkinson and all those who follow her.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 1, 2022

Ballerina Copeland writes another memoir about the highs and lows of ballet stardom (following Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina and Black Ballerinas: My Journey to Our Legacy), with a special focus on the celebrated career of pioneering Black ballerina Raven Wilkinson, who ultimately became Copeland's mentor. Wilkinson was the first Black member of a major ballet company to grace stages worldwide with Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in the mid-20th century. The parallels between Copeland's and Wilkinson's careers are clear: each won critical acclaim for her artistry--and also faced racism (some overt, some subtle) that affected their trajectories in the predominantly white ballet world. In a conversational tone, Copeland recounts her own barriers and triumphs as she rose to the rank of principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre, interwoven with highlights from Wilkinson's less-known career. Balletomanes will enjoy the book's blow-by-blow accounts of Copeland's mold-breaking performance of Swan Lake and of Wilkinson's interactions with dance luminaries like Alicia Alonso, although the book could have used more photographs to bring the subjects to life. VERDICT An accessible read that will surely be popular with Copeland's many fans. Also a good choice for libraries looking to broaden their Black history offerings.--Shannon Titas

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.