This best-selling hardcover is ‘inspired by Misty Copeland’s early ballet experiences,’ according to Amazon
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It’s official: after 25 years with the American Ballet Theatre (ABT), Misty Copeland is taking her final bow. Her last performance is set for Oct. 22, 2025, at 6:15 p.m. EST at Lincoln Center in New York City, and fans around the world can tune in to the livestream of her farewell dance here.
Once called a child prodigy, Copeland made history in 2015 when she became the first African American woman to become a principal dancer (meaning lead) at ABT. In an interview with Pointe Magazine earlier this year, Copeland said of her decision to retire from the famed company, “I’m not leaving — it’s just the end of my time at ABT.”
Bunheads Children’s Book by Misty Copeland
To celebrate her incredible career, supporters are giving Copeland her flowers in more ways than one. They’re snapping up her bestselling children’s books, inspired by her own ballet journey.
Her debut title, Bunheads (first published in 2020), quickly became a New York Times bestseller. The vividly illustrated story “follows a young Misty discovering her passion for dance,” according to the Amazon product description. It’s ideal for readers between the ages of 4 to 8, although we think anyone can enjoy. The 32-page picture book continues to rank among the top 100 children’s books on Amazon, and demand is expected to rise as the world bids farewell to Copeland’s ABT chapter.
Bunheads, Act 2: The Dance of Courage Children’s Book by Misty Copeland
For those who can’t get enough, the newly released sequel, Bunheads Act 2: The Dance of Courage (September 2025), includes the same characters, and just like the first, it’s modeled after Copeland’s own life.
But if you’d like to take things a step (or should we say chassé) further, Copeland currently offers a MasterClass in ballet, where she teaches techniques and gives helpful commentary, for just $10 per month. There’s truly no better way to learn the 5, 6, 7, and 8s of ballet than from the woman who redefined it.
Misty Copeland MasterClass
Whether you’re watching her final curtain call, picking up one of her books, or joining her virtual lessons, you’ll feel like you’re pliéing, tendu-ing, and pirouetting right alongside one of the greatest dancers of our time.