The toned beauty has risen to the top of her game as a dancer and could easily plie her way into becoming a model. The 29 year-old-dancer is the first African American female soloist (in the last two decades) for the American Ballet Theater (ABT), one of the three leading ballet companies in the States.

Considered a prodigy of sorts, the stallion-esque beauty didn’t begin dancing until the age of 13 (about 10 years later than most) and by 15 she was already fielding professional contracts. She is considered a classical ballet dancer, but since 2007 she has morphed into a contemporary and sophisticated dancer.

The Kansas City born, Los Angeles raised dancer was the topic of a very public custody battle between her biological mother and her ballet coaches during the late 90′s. Her time was split between the two families while she honed her craft, but when she started to garner more attention (and make more money) her coach wanted her to stay w/her family full time–a two hour trip away from her mothers. Amidst the media blitz surrounding this coach-turned parent case, Copeland filed for emancipation, under the advice of her dance coach. She later recanted those papers and went back to live with her mother full time–never missing a beat from dancing.

She has managed to make a name for herself as a solo and principle dancer at ABT, dancing the leads in such American classics as: The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Corps de Ballet, and Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty.

Inspiring brown girls worldwide, Copeland, with her 5’2″ self, has proven that dreams do come true–especially when you begin to unpack the gifts that God has placed inside of you. See pictures of the swan below and see why she deserves a round of applause.