An African-American ballerina’s inspirational life story is headed to the big screen with the help of New Line Cinema. The movie studio has optioned the rights to Misty Copeland’s story of being homeless with her mother and siblings to becoming only the second African-American female soloist in the American Ballet Theatre. Copeland’s best selling memoir Life In Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina will serve as the basis for the script being written by Stephanie Allain and Lenore Kletter. Offspring Entertainment’s Adam Shankman and Jennifer Gibgot serve as producers for the project. Both are familiar with bringing movies involving dance to theaters.
Misty Copeland started taking ballet classes at a local Boys & Girls club in Kansas City at the age of 13-a late age according to ballet standards and by 18 she had joined New York’s prestigious American Ballet Theatre- a feat practically unheard of in the ballet world. Copeland excelled quickly in her ballet classes, prompting her ballet teacher to move her in to continue working with her. Just as her star was starting to rise, Copeland found herself in the middle of a bitter custody battle between her teacher and her mother, who wanted her to move home. “It was like my world was ending,” Copeland told Elle back in 2014. “They were like family.”
Copeland bounced back and entered the American Ballet Theatre just as her body was changing from the ideal ballerina standard to a more developed body. Suddenly Copeland’s teachers took notice of her fuller figure and told her that her lines weren’t they wanted. “I had no idea what to do with my body. It wasn’t responding like it used to. It was like starting over.” On top of that she had to learn how to deal with critics who didn’t think as an African-American woman she belonged in the company.
Despite a rocky upbringing, changing body and negative reactions, Copeland never lost her passion for dance. She danced Prince on and off for three years, appeared on So You Think You Can Dance and is the newest spokeswoman for Under Armour. Her Under Armour ad giving a glimpse into her story went viral over the summer.