Dance in Film · 2015
A Ballerina's Tale (2015)
Misty Copeland's career, injuries and repertory create a high-interest bridge between public biography and precisely named ballet excerpts.
A Ballerina's Tale is a 2015 dance documentary centred on ballroom and social dance. For dancers, it's a chance to see the style performed on screen — the phrasing, partnering, and musicality that the same dances carry onto a real floor.
Jump to the 3 indexed dance sequences ↓
Where to watch: PBS and local streaming/rental listings
Trailer
Official trailer.
The dance sequences in A Ballerina's Tale
3 sequences — what is danced, by whom, and where to find it.
Firebird at the Metropolitan Opera House
Classical BalletDanced by Misty Copeland · Choreography Alexei Ratmansky
The Firebird bows after a breakthrough performance, followed by the revelation that Copeland's shin had six fractures.
Copeland sustains the title role's classical attack and theatrical scale while dancing through severe pain. The documentary turns the sequence from career triumph into a precise study of how virtuosity can conceal injury.
Open the film at this point · Stream or rental only — the timestamp is for when you have it playing. No edition-specific timestamp verified. The Film Sales Company lists 85 minutes while Apple lists 83 minutes, so cut-dependent timing is intentionally blank. Availability checked 2026-08-12.
Landmark Swan Lake performance
Classical BalletDanced by Misty Copeland · Choreography Kevin McKenzie
Copeland as the Black Swan in the culminating performance that marks her return at ballet's highest level.
The Odette/Odile assignment demands contrasting classical qualities within one role, and the film uses Copeland's return at that level as proof of restored command. The performance completes the documentary's movement from injury to artistic authority.
Open the film at this point · Stream or rental only — the timestamp is for when you have it playing. No edition-specific timestamp verified. The Film Sales Company lists 85 minutes while Apple lists 83 minutes, so cut-dependent timing is intentionally blank. Availability checked 2026-08-12.
Rehabilitation and return-to-ballet training
Classical BalletDanced by Misty Copeland
Copeland working back toward the studio and American Ballet Theatre stage after surgery.
The recovery passages make ballet technique visible as rebuilt practice: alignment, strength and confidence have to be recovered before performance can return. Their restraint keeps attention on disciplined physical work rather than treating rehabilitation as a quick montage.
Open the film at this point · Stream or rental only — the timestamp is for when you have it playing. No edition-specific timestamp verified. The Film Sales Company lists 85 minutes while Apple lists 83 minutes, so cut-dependent timing is intentionally blank. Availability checked 2026-08-12.
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