CHASING THE DREAM: MISTY COPELAND LAUNCHES A PROGRAM TO BRING MORE DIVERSITY TO BALLET 

Dance superstar Misty Copeland knows a thing or two about breaking barriers, and this fall she’s pointing to the power of ballet to help New York City kids chase their dreams.  Misty, the American Ballet Theatre’s first Black principal dancer, recently launched the “Be Bold” initiative with a free, 12-week program for children 8 to 10 that includes about 120 students from local Boys and Girls Clubs. The goal is to eventually train and mentor thousands of kids, especially Black and Latino students often not seen on stage.  Misty joins MetroFocus to discuss this groundbreaking initiative and her new memoir, The Wind at My Back: Resilience, Grace, and Other Gifts from My Mentor, Raven Wilkinson.

Chasing the Dream: Poverty and Opportunity in America is a multi-platform public media initiative that provides a deeper understanding of the impact of poverty on American society. Major funding for this initiative is provided by The JPB Foundation. Additional funding is provided by Ford Foundation.