As the closeted lesbian cheerleader Santana on Glee, Naya Rivera has demonstrated she sure can dance (and sing and act). Like Natalie Portman in Black Swan, we hope that the actress playing Misty Copeland will train rigorously in preparation for the role—Rivera holds an advantage in already having the rhythm and mind for choreography that would translate well to ballet. And, while she is not a teenager, her role as the high schooler Santana demonstrates she can still pass for adolescent. 

Cynthia Bradley is something of a mother hen to the young Misty Copeland. She feeds and shelters the girl when her own family is unable to provide for her, and she supports Copeland's nascent dance aspirations. We'd like to see Julia Roberts take on the role—she's regal and poised, qualities that make for an excellent dance master.  

To keep things simple, we'd like Gloria Allred to play herself. As a civil rights attorney whose mere association with a case can spawn headlines, she's too much of a symbol to imitate. 

Simon Helberg is probably best known as a comedian. He's played the dorky Howard on The Big Bang Theory from the very beginning of the show and has performed small parts in Arrested Development, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story and Van Wilder. But he has also appeared in more serious films (A Serious Man comes to mind) and has proven capable of maintaining a straight face. While Patrick Bradley, Cynthia's husband and another fixture in the dance community, is not the biggest role in Life in Motion, it's perfectly suited to a man who's still cutting his teeth in drama. We can see him fitting in perfectly alongside Julia Roberts and look forward to seeing where he goes after The Big Bang Theory wraps. 

Kevin McKenzie is the American Ballet Theatre's artistic director. Over the course of their careers, he has pushed Misty to break boundaries and become a better dancer (he recounts accusing Misty of coasting on her talent and encouraging her to make the most of her position as a high-profile minority dancer). Viggo Mortensen (Lord of the Rings, A History of Violence) would be well suited to embody the rigidity and austerity of a high-powered dancer. He has dabbled in many arts, releasing musical and spoken-word albums, writing poetry and painting, so we're quite certain he could rise to the challenge of dancing as well.  

Detroit native Lonette McKee has been performing on stage—both music and acting—since the '70s. She's most recognizable for her role in the original 1976 film Sparkle, a film that has since been remade with Jordin Sparks. She was something of a prodigy in her childhood, writing music and performing at the age of seven, and as a result is familiar with the difficulties of young talent. She would make an empathetic Sylvia DelaCerna, Misty Copeland's mother, who raised her six children without a father and while occasionally fleeing deadbeat boyfriends.