MISTY COPELAND A Ballerina's Life Lessons

Dance has always given Misty Copeland a level of confidence. "Ballet is this guide for me," she says. "I'm so fortunate that I've been able to use that as a tool."

- MARIEL TURNER

Now, the ballerina, 42, wants to give young readers that same level of poise with her book, Letters to Misty: How to Move Through Life with Confidence and Grace, where she offers advice based on fan letters she's received through the years. "[The book] uses ballet as this base of structure, but... it's really for anyone navigating identity or trying to build confidence. I want [readers] to feel... that they're not in this alone." Here, the mom of one (she shares son Jackson, 3, with husband Olu Evans) tells Us more.

This book is a treasure trove of wisdom. What's the best advice you've ever received?