The Firebird The Firebird is a story about magic and love A prince wanders into an evil magician’s garden He sees the beautiful Firebird She offers him one of her feathers She tells the prince it will help him if he is ever in trouble The prince also finds the magician’s castle The magician holds a princess captive The prince uses the feather to defeat the magician and marry the princess thunderous applause Copeland ran onstage and the flock of dancers parted She was the star she was the Firebird There are many types of dance but they all have some aspects in common A career in dance requires constant dedication Dancers sacrifice time with family and friends to perfect their skills They often find it difficult to balance dance and life outside the studio LEARNING TO DANCE Copeland called herself an unlikely ballerina in her book Life in Motion She started ballet lessons at
BALLET COSTUMES BALLET COSTUMES Romantic tutus are knee to ankle length to create an airy look Powder puff tutus Powder puff tutus have a short skirt have a short skirt with no wires Pancake tutus are Pancake tutus are short with wired short with wired frames to keep their shape Today’s ballet costumes come in different lengths and styles Some outfits are long and loose Others are shorter and simpler Which styles do you see in this chapter Which type do you think is easiest to dance in age 13 Many ballerinas start training in elementary school Her instructor molded Copeland’s body into poses few people could do She had never seen anyone like Copeland Her small head long legs and big feet made her the perfect ballerina Copeland learned quickly She worked hard and loved dance She received a standing ovation for her
Copeland performed with the ABT in London performance as Claire in Claire and the Chocolate Nutcracker That performance launched Copeland into her career By age 17 she was dancing with the corps de ballet of the American Ballet Theatre ABT one of the best-known ballet programs in the United States After a few years Copeland’s body began to change She grew taller and gained weight Her confidence began to slip ABT staff encouraged Copeland to change her eating habits Copeland gave
up unhealthy foods and started eating seafood instead of meat She didn’t want to at first but she realized it was important to be healthy After five years she found her balance She still had curves But she knew they were a part of who she was as a dancer Copeland’s hard work paid off By the fall of 2011 she had been a soloist for four years She was Dancing through the Ranks Not all members of a ballet corps have the same job title Most dancers start as ensemble members Dancers who shine may rise to junior soloists They perform in smaller group dances and minor solo roles The next move is to first soloist These dancers are given more solo roles and study for principal roles When dancers reach a high level of ability and grace they may be promoted to principal dancers Not all ballet companies use the same titles but the process is similar studying for the title role in the ballet The Firebird Copeland worked through exhausting classes to learn the difficult choreography She got the part
