Misty Copeland will appear in Disney’s new “Nutcracker” project and, according to Variety, will play the lead ballerina in the film’s only dance sequence.

The project, titled “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms,” is based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s 1816 story “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.” Alexandre Dumas’ adaptation of the story became the inspiration for Tchaikovsky’s 1892 ballet, which still performs annually at Christmastime around the world.

But the film will apparently not be entirely ballet-centric, as Copeland’s segment will be the only dance reference. “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” will be directed by Lass Hallstrom (“Chocolat”) from a script written by Ashleigh Powell.

Copeland made history last year when she became the first African-American woman promoted to principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre. New Line is developing a biopic called “Life In Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina.” She was also the subject of the 2015 documentary “A Ballerina’s Tale.” Copeland made the “Nutcracker” announcement via her Instagram account, saying, “I’m thrilled to be a part of this amazing project with Disney and the wonderful Lasse Hallstrom.”

https://medium.com/media/0fac92d5b5bd5a79b5b70ae084fc7ce9/href