More than Black Swan and fancy tutus, ballet can be punishing. For its perfection, for its rigour, in some ways, for its expectation of the perfect ballet body and look. But sometimes those expectations can be subverted or changed. Enter Misty Copeland, the American Ballet Theatre’s first ever black principal dancer. Bilqis Hijjas examines what it is about her that makes her so unique as a dancer, but also especially in America’s racial landscape.

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