Misty Danielle Copeland is not only an inspiration to the world of ballet, but also as a trailblazer for diversity in the arts. Misty was the first African American woman to be
promoted to a principal dancer in the American Ballet Theaters (ABT) 75 year history. She has become the symbol of strength and grace.
Misty Copeland was born September 10th, 1982 in Kansas City, Missouri. Misty and her siblings all grew up with a single mother who had many failed marriages which
resulted in financial instability. When her family moved to California, she first encountered her love for dance on a drill team in middle school. Her coaches immediately noticed how talented she was and sent her to take ballet classes at the local Boys and Girls Club. The ballet school noticed her God given ability to dance, and even though she started at 13, which is a late start to a serious career. She dedicated herself and started training.
Her family moved to get closer to the studio and at 15 Copeland got invited to dance at the San Francisco Ballet. She also won first place in the ballet category at the
Los Angeles Music Center Spotlight Awards. Misty did, however, have to move back with her family because her mother was living in a motel with Misty’s siblings and she needed to help take care of them. She started attending San Pedro High School. In the summer of 2000, Copeland got a full scholarship to ABT’s summer intensive program. At the end of the program she was offered to dance with ABT’s studio company, a selective program for talented dancers still training. Soon after in 2001, she became a member at ABT’s Corps De Ballet. It has 80 talented dancers and
she was the only African-American.
In 2009, her career really took off when she appeared in a music video for Prince entitled “Crimson and Clover”. She also performed live with him on his tour the following
year. She has received the “Shorty Award for Best in Dance” and “Glamour Award for Best in Dance”. Recently, she was awarded the “2023 Jacobs Pillow Dance Award”.
She has also written 7 books and is considered a best selling author. Misty has been married for 10 years to Ole Evans and they have a child together named Jackson. She has inspired so many kids who have come from the same background as she has. She inspires ballerina’s all over the world to shoot for the stars and just to be yourself.
SOURCES:
https://www.jacobspillow.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/JPDA2023_FINAL.pdf
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Misty-Copeland
https://mistycopeland.com/
