In a world dominated by thin white bodies, Misty Copeland challenges stereotypes, breaking through as one of the first black professional ballerinas at a major company.

As a teenager, Misty relocated to New York to join the prestigious American Ballet Theater (ABT)'s cops de balle, becoming the only black dancer at the company.

Eventually working her way up to soloist, Misty garners much attention when she is cast as the lead role in Igor Stravinsky's Firebird performed at the Metropolitan Opera House.

Propelling her into fame, and turning her into a role model for African Americans, Misty becomes the new face of ballet and on track to reach the top-level in her field: the principal dancer, or the prima ballerina.

Just steps away from achieving her dream and shattering barriers for black ballerinas, Misty is diagnosed with a potentially career-ending injury: six fractures in her shin. With intensive surgery as her only option, many in the company doubted that Misty would ever dance again.

A BALLERINA’S TALE, explores Misty’s recovery from surgery and her triumphant return to the stage.

Examining issues of race, class, body image and pressure in the world of elite ballet, we follow Misty as she tries to break through as the first black female principal dancer at a major international company.