A lyrical picture book biography of Janet Collins, the first African
American principal dancer at the Metropolitan Opera House.
Janet Collins wanted to be a ballerina in the 1930s and 40s, a time when
racial segregation was widespread in the United States. Janet pursued
dance with a passion, despite being rejected from discriminatory dance
schools. When she was accepted into the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo as a
teenager on the condition that she paint her skin white for
performances, Janet refused. She continued to go after her dreams, never
compromising her values along the way. From her early childhood lessons
to the height of her success as the first African American prima
ballerina in the Metropolitan Opera, Brave Ballerina is the story of a
remarkable pioneer as told by Michelle Meadows, with fantastic
illustrations from Ebony Glenn.