BHM - Misty Copeland

Misty Copeland - who is she?

Misty was born in 1982 and is a ballet dancer for the American Ballet Theatre. She was born in Missouri, but raised in California. She was the first African American woman to be a principal dance for the ABT (they have a 75 year history).
She started ballet at the age of 13 (considered a quite late start in the dance world). In 1997, she won the Los Angeles Music Center Spotlight Award as the best dancer in Southern California. She became a member of the ABT in 2000 (age 18) and joined the corps de ballet in 2001 and became a soloist in 2007.
She is also a public speaker, spokesperson, and stage performer. She’s written two books and narrated a documentary about her Career. She was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine in 2015. She’s performed on Broadway, toured as a featured dancer, and appeared on TV.
As a teen she struggled with a custody battle between her dance teacher and her mother, an eating disorder, body image issues, and injury.

Resources

Movie Short

Misty's Story in Latin