Famed Ballerina Misty Copeland Teams Up with ‘Awkward Girl’ Scribe to Produce Fox Dance Drama

Famed ballerina Misty Copeland is enjoying a fulfilling career that has encouraged a new era in the otherwise stringent world of ballet. Copeland’s meteoric rise didn’t come easy as she endured the complexities of a lowly childhood but defied the odds by beginning her career at the relatively mature age of 13 – and despite being thwarted for not presenting the ideal body type for her chosen vocation, Copeland stunned her detractors and the world with her immeasurable talent and immense fortitude.

Her trajectory has become a testimony to the power of resilience and an inspiration to girls of color who dream of following in her perfectly poised footsteps. Earlier this year she was bequeathed the honor of being the first African-American woman to be named the principal dancer at the American Ballet Theater – a feat that will remain her enduring legacy.

But there is much more to come from the woman who has mastered the balancing act. According to Deadline, Copeland will be producing a drama for Fox TV that will feature the dance world as the propelling backdrop. The project is still in the early stages of development but the synopsis will be seeped in the competitive world of young dancers from diverse backgrounds who are focused on garnering top placement at a prestigious ballet company.

The untitled drama was conceived by up and coming TV writer Tracy Oliver who personally pitched the idea to the recently engaged Copeland via phone call, after being captivated by the renowned talent’s story two years ago. Oliver, who has become a household name thanks to her contribution to the cult web series The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl and most recently Starz’s hit Survivor’s Remorse also shares a performing arts background, and after graduating from Stanford, Oliver was set on developing a show about that would dramatically capture the genre she also grew to love.

It didn’t take long for Copeland to enthusiastically agree to the ambitious partnership, to the utter surprise of Oliver who was convinced it would be a long short.

As the details are getting sorted, it seems like a match made in heaven between the two spirited women of color who are in the enviable position of presenting and producing a TV show about an industry that has remained lily white…until now.