The Wind at My Back: Resilience, Grace, and Other Gifts from My Mentor, Raven Wilkinson

by Misty Copeland, Susan Fales-Hill (With)

Overview

From celebrated ballerina and New York Times bestselling author Misty Copeland, a heartfelt memoir about her friendship with trailblazer Raven Wilkinson which captures the importance of mentorship, shared history, and honoring the past to ensure a stronger future.

Misty Copeland made history as the first African-American principal ballerina at the American Ballet Theatre. Her talent, passion, and perseverance enabled her to make strides no one had accomplished before. But as she will tell you, achievement never happens in a void. Behind her, supporting her rise was her mentor Raven Wilkinson. Raven had been virtually alone in her quest to breach the all-white ballet world when she fought to be taken seriously as a Black ballerina in the 1950s and 60s. A trailblazer in the world of ballet decades before Misty’s time, Raven faced overt and casual racism, hostile crowds, and death threats for having the audacity to dance ballet.

The Wind at My Back tells the story of two unapologetically Black ballerinas, their friendship, and how they changed each other—and the dance world—forever. Misty Copeland shares her own struggles with racism and exclusion in her pursuit of this dream career and honors the women like Raven who paved the way for her but whose contributions have gone unheralded. She celebrates the connection she made with her mentor, the only teacher who could truly understand the obstacles she faced, beyond the technical or artistic demands.

A beautiful and wise memoir of intergenerational friendship and the impressive journeys of two remarkable women, The Wind at My Back captures the importance of mentorship, of shared history, and of respecting the past to ensure a stronger future.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538753873
Publisher:	Grand Central Publishing
Publication date:	10/03/2023
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	105,484
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Misty Copeland is a principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre and the author of the New York Times bestsellers Life in Motion, Ballerina Body, Black Ballerinas, and the children’s picture book Bunheads, as well as the award-winning children’s book, Firebird. She made her Broadway debut in 2015’s On the Town, putting a show that had reportedly been suffering financially for months into the Broadway box office top ten for the two weeks that she guest starred as Ivy Smith. She’s been featured in the New York Times and on CBS Sunday Morning and 60 Minutes, and she was named one of Glamour’s Women of the Year and Time magazine’s 100 most influential people. Misty is the recipient of the Young, Gifted & Black Honor at the Black Girls Rock! Awards and the Spingarn Medal, the NAACP’s highest honor.

Table of Contents

Prologue: On the Shoulders of Giants 1

Chapter 1 It All Began Tonight 11

Chapter 2 A Distant Mirror 17

Chapter 3 Two Women at the Crossroads 27

Chapter 4 Never Give Up 47

Chapter 5 Taking Flight 75

Chapter 6 Dreams Deferred 99

Chapter 7 Black Swans Rock 121

Chapter 8 Blood, Sweat, and Swan Queens 131

Chapter 9 Live by the Swan, Die by the Swan 145

Chapter 10 Dreams Realized 161

Chapter 11 The Bells Toll 175

Chapter 12 Taking Ravens Breath Away 181

Chapter 13 Transition 189

Epilogue: Blackface, Racial Reckoning, and Raven's Wish 203

Acknowledgments 215

Notes 217

Index 221

Editorial Reviews

In warm, plain-spoken prose, Copeland details Wilkinson’s bravery . . . This book is a generous, sincere love letter to Wilkinson, who died in 2018, but it’s also a love letter to liberation . . . This bighearted memoir is an antidote to that marginalization.”—New York Times

"Anyone lucky enough to have seen Misty dance knows the perfect balance of power, grace, joy and purpose that pours out from her. She’s no less wonderful a writer. This story of Misty and her muse, idol and mentor, the inimitable Raven Wilkinson, is a beautiful love letter and an inspiring tribute."

—Amanda Seyfried, actress

"Having a contemporary ballerina tell the story of one of the great pioneers of our art form and bear witness to their mutual love and respect is so moving. I laughed, I reminisced, I cried….A definite must read!!!”—Lauren Anderson, Associate Director of Education & Community Engagement and former principal dancer at Houston Ballet

"What a courageous, authentic, and heartfelt story of the beautiful friendship between Misty Copeland and Raven Wilkinson, the ballerina who broke barriers in the 1950s with the Ballet Russe. Through the support of her mentor Ms. Wilkinson, Mrs. Copeland finds her deeper calling in paving the way for other black and brown dancers to fulfill their dreams in the art of ballet and beyond. Their story is truly inspiring."—Susan Jaffe, Artistic Director Designee at American Ballet Theatre

“Misty shares her story, as well as Raven’s, with a transparency and authenticity that invites readers to join her in navigating the ballet world as a Black woman. She guides us through the struggles but leaves us with hope and beauty.”—Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation

"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 . . . The strength that Copeland found in Wilkinson is moving, and she renders it gracefully throughout. This is an inspiring and insightful account.”—Publishers Weekly

"A candid, instructive reflection on artistry, dedication, and race."—Kirkus Reviews

"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.”—Booklist

"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 . . . An accessible read that will surely be popular with Copeland’s many fans."—Library Journal

"A love letter . . . infused with grace, both inside and out."—Miami Times

"A beautiful memoir that captures the friendship between Copeland and Wilkinson, and shares the impact that their stories continue to have on the world of dance."—Town & Country

"What’s beautiful about this memoir is seeing how these two women developed an unbreakable friendship . . .  5 out of 5 stars." —Black Girl Nerds

From the Publisher

08/29/2022

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. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

11/01/2022

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

Library Journal

2022-09-08
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.

Kirkus Reviews