Background

Ethnicity: Copeland's father is of German and African American descent, and her mother is of Italian and African American ancestry.

Misty Copeland was born on September 10, 1982 in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. She is the daughter of Sylvia DelaCerna and Doug Copeland. Misty has three siblings and two half-siblings on her mother's side.

Education

Misty Copeland and her siblings grew up with a single mother whose several failed marriages resulted in financial instability. When young, Copeland moved with her family from Kansas City to San Pedro, where she studied at Point Fermin Elementary School. Her first formal encounter with dance was on the drill team of Dana Middle School. The team's coach noticed her talent and recommended that she attend ballet classes taught by Cynthia Bradley at the local Boys & Girls Club. Copeland's natural ability was quickly recognized by Bradley, and, though age 13 was a late start for a serious dance career, Copeland began taking classes with Bradley at the San Pedro Ballet School. When her training became more intensive, Copeland moved in with Bradley and her family in order to be closer to the studio. In 1998, at the age of 15, she won first prize in the ballet category of the Los Angeles Music Center Spotlight Awards. That summer, she was accepted with a full scholarship into the intensive summer program at the San Francisco Ballet.

In 1998, a custody battle ensued between the Bradleys and Copeland's mother, who, at that time, was living with her children in a motel. Copeland moved back in with her family and began attending San Pedro High School. Copeland continued studying ballet at Lauridsen Ballet Centre in Torrance, California.

In 2014, Misty received an honorary doctorate from the University of Hartford.

Career

In 2000, Misty won a full scholarship to the ABT's (American Ballet Theatre) intensive summer program. That year, she was also named the ABT's National Coca-Cola Scholar. At the end of the summer, Misty was invited to join the ABT studio company, a selective program for young dancers still in training. Soon after, in 2001, she became a member of the ABT's corps de ballet, the only African American woman in a group of 80 dancers. Though she was challenged by her difference, not only in skin color but also in body type, always more full-figured than her peers (and regularly reminded), she nevertheless climbed the ranks by virtue of her exceptional skill. In 2007, she became the company's first African American female soloist in two decades (Anne Benna Sims and Nora Kimball had preceded her). Notable performances included the title role in The Firebird (2012), Gulnare in Le Corsaire (2013), Swanilda in Coppélia (2014), and the dual lead role, Odette/Odile, in Swan Lake (2014).

Copeland continued to develop her skills across a varied repertoire while also facing severe injuries. At the beginning of her ABT career, she faced a vertebral fracture that required time off of dance and the wearing of a brace for practically the entire day. Some time later, she had to temporarily stop dancing again to recuperate from fractures to her left shin.

Copeland's inspiring story made her a role model and a pop icon. In 2009, she appeared in a music video for the song "Crimson and Clover" by Prince. She also performed live with him on his tour the following year. Copeland became a strong advocate for diversifying the field of ballet and creating access for dancers of varying racial and economic backgrounds. She served on the advisory committee for the ABT's Project Plié, a program (started in 2013) offering training and mentorship to dance teachers in racially diverse communities around the country as well as in Boys & Girls Clubs. Copeland published the memoir Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina (2014) and had endorsements with companies such as Coach (leather accessories) and Under Armour (athletic wear). In June 2015, the ABT chose Copeland as its first African American female principal dancer in the company's 75-year history. In August of that year, she had her Broadway debut in the role of Ivy Smith in Leonard Bernstein's musical On the Town.

In 2018, Copeland made her feature film debut, fittingly playing the ballerina princess in The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, an adaptation of Tchaikovsky's 19th-century ballet.

Copeland was featured in Season 1, Episode 5 of the Hulu web series A Day in the Life. She was a guest judge for the 11th season of FOX's So You Think You Can Dance. Misty was also featured on 60 Minutes in a segment with correspondent Bill Whitaker and served as a presenter at the 69th Tony Awards.

In 2011, Copeland designed a line of dancewear, called M by Misty. Six years later, she debuted her own collection of activewear for Under Armour.

In addition to her memoir, Copeland also wrote Ballerina Body: Dancing and Eating Your Way to a Leaner, Stronger, and More Graceful You (2017) as well as the children's books Firebird (2014) and Bunheads (2020).

Achievements

• 

  Misty is the first African-American female principal dancer in the American Ballet Theater's 75-year history. At the age of fifteen, she won first place in the Music Center Spotlight Awards.
  
  In 2008, Misty Copeland received the Leonore Annenberg Fellowship in the Arts and was named the 'National Youth of the Year Ambassador' for the 'Boys & Girls Clubs of America' in 2013. Copeland was among the few public figures selected by then-president Barack Obama to be appointed to the President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition in 2014.
  
  Misty is also a recipient of the Shorty Award, Dance Magazine Award and Glamour Magazine's Woman of the Year award. She appeared on the cover of Time magazine and was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Ballerina Body: Dancing and Eating Your Way to a Leaner, Stronger, and More Graceful You

    (In her first health and fitness book, celebrated ballerin...)

    2017
  • Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina

    (A bestselling and prize-winning memoir by African-America...)

    2014
  • Bunheads

    (From prima ballerina and New York Times bestselling autho...)

    2020
  • Firebird

    (In her debut picture book, Misty Copeland tells the story...)

    2014

• movie

  • A Ballerina's Tale

    (A feature documentary on African American ballerina Misty...)

    2015
  • The Nutcracker and the Four Realms

    (A young girl is transported into a magical world of ginge...)

    2018

Religion

Initially, Misty was raised in a lapsed Christian household. However, when she lived with the Bradley family, she attended their synagogue and celebrated Shabbat with them.

Views

Copeland is a co-founder of a fundraiser, Swans for Relief. The fund compiled videos made by 32 ballerinas from 14 countries, dancing The Dying Swan. The resulting YouTube video raises funds that will go to each dancer's company's COVID-19 relief fund, or other arts-based relief funds.

Misty's picture book 'Firebird' has a message of empowerment for young people of color. She is a strong advocate for diversifying the field of ballet and creating access for dancers of different racial and economic backgrounds.

In 2016, Copeland walked the runway at New York Fashion Week to support the American Heart Association's "Go Red for Women" campaign, aimed at increasing awareness of the dangers of heart disease for women.

Quotations: "Be strong, be fearless, be beautiful. And believe that anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you."

"All you can do is be your best self. I've always felt that I had to be that much more aware of how I present myself. I'm representing more than just me. I think every person should think that way."

"I've always approached my career and my life, you know, one day at a time, as if this was the last day that I'm going, because you never know as an athlete and as a dancer. You never know what can happen today, tomorrow."

"My childhood is a part of my story, and it's why I'm who I am today and why my career is what it is."

"Every time I dance, I'm trying to prove myself to myself."

"You have to be the one promoting yourself. If you don't think that you're worthy, you're never going to make it."

"I want to bring awareness to the lack of diversity in ballet, and feel like that's a large part of my purpose."

"I think body-image issues are not just a dancer thing. I think we're much more in tune and aware because the body is our instrument and art, and we stare at ourselves in a mirror all day, but I feel like it's something that every woman experiences and every girl experiences."

"Finding ballet was like finding this missing piece of myself."

"Being one of the few African American women to make it to this level in a classical ballet company, the level of American Ballet Theatre, takes a lot of perseverance."

"I wanted to open the dialogue about race in ballet and bring more people in. It's just beautiful to see the interest that has exploded for such an incredible art form that I will forever be grateful to!"

"It's all so surreal, and I'm living my dream. And you know, principal or not, I'm getting to dance all the roles that I've dreamed of doing."

"More often than we realize, people see in us what we don't see in ourselves."

"Every time I step onto the stage, it's not only proving to the audience that I'm capable but to myself."

"I was the first person in my family who was ever interested in dance, or fine art of any kind for that matter - I came from a very humble beginning in San Pedro, California."

Personality

Throughout her career, Copeland's dedication and determination to ballet helped to gain her point - becoming a Prima Ballerina. She continued to show determination even when circumstances grew difficult. Misty not only was determined and resilient but also had the courage to break through the racial wall that confined the art of ballet. Her ability to follow through with her goal and forget about her past is a true sign of courage.

Physical Characteristics: Misty Copeland is 5 ft 2 in (157.5 cm) tall and weighs 119 lbs (54 kg). She has black hair and dark brown eyes.

Misty has many moles all over her body.

Interests

• cooking, traveling

• Artists

  Paloma Herrera

• Music & Bands

  hip-hop, R&B; Mariah Carey

Connections

Copeland met Olu Evans around 2004. In 2015 Misty disclosed their engagement in a cover story in Essence magazine. The couple married on July 31, 2016.

Father:

Doug Copeland

Mother:

Sylvia DelaCerna

Sylvia DelaCerna is a trained medical assistant, but has worked mostly in sales.

Spouse:

Olu Evans

Friend:

Prince

(June 7, 1958 - April 21, 2016)

Prince Rogers Nelson, better known simply as Prince, was an American singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, dancer, and actor. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his generation.

mentor:

Cindy Bradley

References

• When I Grow Up: Misty Copeland Misty Copeland is one of the most famous dancers in the world. But before she was dancing for millions of fans, Misty was just a young girl who loved ballet, even though she didn't look like the typical ballerina. Learn how she made it all the way to the top in this exciting level 3 biography!
  2016
• Misty Copeland Misty Copeland is one of America's most famous ballerinas. Learn about how she broke barriers for dancers of color and worked her way to the top!
  2018
• Misty Copeland: Power and Grace Through the stunning black-and-white photography of Richard Corman and Misty's own words, her inspiring message of hope, strength, and focus speaks to young girls and women. In the introduction, Cindy Bradley, Misty's ballet teacher who discovered and encouraged Misty to develop her talent and follow her heart, gives context to the obstacles and challenges that helped Misty find her power and achieve success.
  2015
• Misty Copeland: Principal Ballerina Misty Copeland is an author, global volunteer, and principal ballerina. But her path to success was not a straight one. Discover how Copeland used perseverance and talent to achieve her dream.
  2020
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