
Is the world ready for a black ballerina? When the word ballerina is heard, it invokes the image of beautiful and radiant white woman dancing in the most graceful manner. Our mind never imagines black women as ballerinas, they are more likely to be thought of as hip-hop dancers, but not ballerinas. However, breaking through these shackles of racial discrimination, there have been five ballerinas in the world that have carved a niche for themselves and made a noticeable mark on the ballerina stage. Taking inspiration from these brave and beautiful black ladies, award-winning fiction writer Marian L. Thomas has come up with her most awaited novel, “Blue Butterfly”- a heart-touching story about a black girl (Precious Blue Johnson) that fights all odds in order to become a ballerina in a time when most people can only imagine white women in the famous leotard and tutu. "Blue Butterfly" will be released in a digital and print edition on April 4, 2014. It will be available for purchase through online retailers and bookstores nationwide.