Nearly 500 Charleston County School District students packed into Dock Street Theatre this week for a rare audience with ballet icon Misty Copeland, who read from her new children’s book, answered their questions, and sent every student home with a free copy. The appearance was part of the Charleston Literary Festival, which wraps up Sunday after running since November 6.
Copeland sat down with WCBD News 2's Octavia Mitchell, who shared the stage with her at the downtown Charleston venue to talk about her new book and her broader work with children, according to WCBD News 2. Copeland is the first Black principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre and is already a New York Times bestselling author of 11 books, including several children's titles, the station reports.
The new book, “Starfire Academy: Firebird Waltz,” follows 12-year-old Josie as she leaves her small hometown for New York City with her best friend Patrick to attend a performing arts school described as the best in the country, per the station's account. The novel is the first in a middle-grade series, according to Simon & Schuster, and The Post and Courier describes it as a story about Josie beginning training at a prestigious performing arts academy.
A Story Rooted in Her Own Childhood
Copeland told WCBD her own path into ballet began far from any stage. “At age 7, I started choreographing. Then, at 13 years old, at my community center, the Boys & Girls Club, a local ballet teacher came looking for more diverse students to bring into her school on scholarship,” she said, describing how a local ballet teacher recruited her as a scholarship student. The station's report notes she grew up in a single-parent home with five siblings before that chance encounter changed her trajectory.
Copeland read from her new book and then opened the floor to questions directly from the students in attendance, the station's report states. Every student there walked away with a free copy of “Firebird Waltz,” part of what the book's publisher calls a literary series designed to empower young readers.
Ticket Access for District Students
Accounts differ slightly on how widely the event was opened to district students. WCBD reported that the sold-out event was reserved entirely for Charleston County School District students as part of the festival's youth access initiative, while the same outlet's station report also frames it as a featured festival event. The Post and Courier, however, reported that the majority of tickets for the November 11 book discussion were reserved for district students, rather than the entire house.
The appearance builds on the festival's broader push to reach younger audiences. The Charleston Literary Festival's Next Generation Initiatives program has invited students from Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties to special events featuring figures including Copeland, according to a separate report from WCBD News 2.
A Foundation Built Around Access
Copeland told the station that her focus these days centers on giving young people access and entry points into the arts. “It's all about uplifting young people and giving them opportunities to be exposed to the arts,” she said, adding that she feels a strong connection to young people even though she is no longer performing onstage. The station reports she now supports youth through the Misty Copeland Foundation, her production company, her books, and various board roles.
The Misty Copeland Foundation, which she founded in 2021, states its mission is to provide opportunities for children in under-resourced communities to engage their bodies, hearts, and minds in learning through dance, especially ballet, according to the Misty Copeland Foundation. That same ethos of expanding access runs through the festival partnership that brought her to Charleston.
The Charleston County Public Library and the Charleston Literary Festival partnered this fall to expand access to books, authors, and literary experiences throughout the county, according to the Charleston County Public Library. The library also planned a series of book discussions at branches across the county featuring selections from the 2026 festival lineup, running alongside the festival's run at Dock Street Theatre through Sunday.
