Deirdre Kelly in conversation with Misty Copeland

Longtime Globe and Mail dance critic, Deirdre Kelly’s new book offers a backstage history of the dancer, from the court of Louis XIV to the present day, and exposes the darker side of ballet’s graceful art, from institutionalized prostitution in 18th and 19th century France to institutionalized starvation in the 20th century as a result of the influence of George Balanchine. On December 1st, Kelly will interview acclaimed ballerina Misty Copeland,  the first African-American soloist for the American Ballet Theatre in more than twenty years.