Review: Misty Copeland Dances Off the Pages of Gregg Delman's MISTY COPELAND

Misty Copland, by Gregg Delman with foreward by Misty Copeland has been released by Rizzoli New York, September 2016. Delman is an award winning photographer whose work has appeared in Time, Interview, Elle, GQ, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Gotham, and Vogue. He has photographed a roster of notable names, actors and rock stars. When he first saw Copeland, in 2011, while she was still striving to rise in the ranks of American Ballet Theatre, he believed he had found a really special subject to capture. Copeland has since become the first female, African-American principal dancer for ABT. She has also become a public speaker, celebrity spokesperson, stage performer, television personality, and author.

In his Introduction to his book of his photographs of Copeland, Delman says, "...I was immediately struck by a photograph of a woman standing center stage, poised and chiseled like a marble sculpture you would see in the Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC, NY). In my portraits, I try to arrest the essence of a person, their personality, their talent, and that inexplicable thing that draws me - and a larger audience - to them." His photos do just that. In these photos, Copeland's extraordinary physique moves, dancing beyond the confines of the pages, as does her emotional being. She is dressed in various leotards and costumes, always bare-legged, exposing her well defined muscles. Photographs were taken some in dance studios and others on location, in an exquisite building decorated with antique furniture. This book is an exceptional partnership between the sensitive eye of the photographer and the magnificence, passion, and generosity of his subject.

In her foreward, Copeland says, "...Because of the unassuming simplicity in our preparation, I didn't expect to see the exceptional classic beauty that was consistently created in our photographs, and I was blown away by how full and finessed the end product was." For her part, she moved her beautifully muscled dancer's body in non-traditional ways, releasing her emotions, her sensuality, her inner feelings for Delman's lens to capture and for us to enjoy.

This is a book worthy of anyone's coffee table. It will, no doubt, inspire Copeland's many fans and create new ones, all of whom will be clamoring for tickets to see her dance, in person.

Link to purchase: https://www.amazon.com/Misty-Copeland-Gregg-Delman/dp/0847849716/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1474421462&sr=1-1&keywords=Delman+Misty+Copeland

Photo credit: Gregg Delman