Misty Copeland

A little girl lies on the floor of her motel living room, not knowing when and where her next meal would come from. Her current motel “home” is unkempt, and her family begins to unravel as their living situation worsens. They would all dig around for loose change to afford any basic necessity. Her family and she are always on the constant move, and are used to having a new house and fatherly-figure every so often; she tries desperately to keep her harsh homelife hidden from the rest of the world. Yet, despite all of her hardcomings, she uses ballet to escape her dreadful reality, and would one day forever change the course of history. Misty Copeland is most widely known for being the first African American female Principal Dancer at the American Ballet Theatre (ABT), who rose from a life full of impoverished beginning (Blumberg). She was born in Kansas City, Missouri and moved to San Pedro, California, where she discovered her love of ballet (Misty Copeland Newsmakers). Misty Copeland had a late and unusual introduction to Ballet at her community Boys and Girls club; her weekly classes there jump started her later-found passion for ballet (Misty Copeland Newsmakers). As Copeland’s training became more intense, it lead to her moving in with her ballet teacher (Copeland 66). After years of rigorous and diligent hard work, along with perseverance, in 2015, Misty Copeland was promoted to Principal Ballerina with the ABT (Blumberg). Throughout her time at the ABT, she has landed many leading roles including, The Firebird, Odette in Swan Lake, and Giselle (Misty Copeland Contemporary Black). A hero must be impactful and possess perseverance. A true hero empowers others by teaching them to embrace their differences, and they demonstrate that one shouldn’t give up on their dreams. A hero will overcome any obstacle thrown in their path, despite how testing it may be. Misty Copeland stands as an impactful figure to many people around the world, and perseveres with her work ethic when faced with racial barriers, which define her as a true hero.

Misty Copeland impacted worldly stereotypical views, and extended her hand into giving those less fortunate an equal opportunity. After dancing with the ABT for a few years, and realizing how she was built differently from the rest of the company, Copeland decided that people’s ideals of perfection weren’t going to get in the way of her doing what she loved: ballet. Misty Copeland explains, “‘I'd always believed that what mattered was how I looked, how well I embodied certain standards of perfection… and I think I changed everyone's mind about what a perfect dancer is supposed to look like’” (Misty Copeland Contemporary Authors). In this quote said by Misty Copeland, she explained how she allowed herself to believe she needed to be the ideal ballerina. But as her life went on and she realized that dancing was what made her happy, she arrived at the conclusion that she had to accept her appearance, and that who she was wasn’t going to change. Copeland’s changed mental views on herself lead to a more positive environment for herself, and ultimately further success. Copeland realized everyone is different and that they shouldn’t compare their individuality to others; she shattered the idea of the perfect ballerina. In sum, she teaches others that being different and standing out shouldn’t be an obstacle one has to overcome to reach their goals. Moreover, Misty Copeland didn’t want other young adolescents to encounter the same difficulties she did as a young child. As an effort to help underprivileged children explore their talents, Copeland served as an advisor for Project Plié: “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” (Blumberg). Misty Copeland’s invigorating rise to stardom doesn’t end with her making ballet history, but it begins with her showing care towards matters she can relate to. Copeland works on the ABT’s Project Plié to give those less fortunate a chance at following their dreams. Misty Copeland first-handedly experienced what it was like to starve and have no home, and was able to empathize for those in need. She changed their lives for the better by giving a countless number of people a chance at success. She positively impacted the lives of many young children, as a result of having faced poverty and racial discrimination growing up. Misty Copeland is a true hero because she forever changed the way that people viewed racial and physical differences. Additionally, despite being accomplished and one of the most worldwide known ballerinas, Copeland chooses to give a glimmer of hope to those even less fortunate than herself. She impacted their lives by giving them an opportunity for success.

A true hero is one who perseveres through even the toughest situations thrown their way; Misty Copeland did just that. After dancing with the ABT for a few years, Copeland began to doubt her belonging there after she was told she needed to “lengthen”, a genteelism that she needed to lose weight. Misty Copeland recalls that as she grew older, she was told she was too heavy, and Copeland subsequently struggled with binge eating: “... the ABT staff called me in to tell me that I need to lose weight… I had breasts, and muscles, but yes, I was still a ballerina… and ABT, seeing how hard I had worked… came to see things my way, that my curves are part of who I am as a dancer, not something I need to lose to become one” (Copeland 165-171). Misty Copeland was told she didn’t have the physique of a petite ballerina as she grew older. The ABT asked her to “lengthen” her structure, meaning they wanted her to lose weight in order to fit in with the rest of the company. For a while, Copeland struggled to “diet” herself, but as soon as she realized she needed to take care of her body to continue dancing, she found a balance between working hard, over-exhausting herself, and making minor tweaks to her diet. She proved that her persistence in working hard was able to put down the ABT’s grueling demands, as they began to realize that she was just as hard working and persistent as other ballerinas. By persisting through with coming to terms with her body, Copeland proved that perseverance can help one overcome any impossibility or negativity thrown their way. Not only did Copeland have to persevere through the injustice of her figure, she also had to endure the constant reminder from those around her that she was a different color than them. Misty Copeland made it evident that her skin color wasn’t going to stop her from reaching her dreams: “During performances, Copeland was asked to wear makeup that would make her appear white and help her blend in with the rest of the dance corps” (Misty Copeland Contemporary Authors). Copeland was one of the few African American ballerinas at the ABT, and was often times judged for her skin color and appearances. Additionally, Misty Copeland wasn’t the most quintessential ballerina, and would be asked to make herself appear white. Nevertheless, she didn’t let other people’s opinions on what a true ballerina should be get to her. She worked hard and persevered through their stigma to prove that her skin color was just a physical appearance, and it didn’t define her as a ballerina. Copeland’s perseverance tested that there is always a way to overcome society’s negative perceptions. Through her hard work to prove that she too could be a ballerina, Copeland made history and became the ABT’s first African American female principal dancer. In all, Misty Copeland is considered a true hero because of the persistence she portrayed when she had to deal with prejudices from the ABT based on her physical appearances. Further, Copeland didn’t let their spiteful thoughts and actions stop her from making history and even more importantly, achieving her dream of becoming a principal dancer.

Misty Copeland is truly a hero because of her impact when she gives the minority an opportunity to work hard and achieve their goals, and when she altered the world’s preconceptions of an exemplary ballerina through her perseverance. Misty Copeland changed the way outcasts were viewed at the ABT and offered indigent people a chance to accomplish their goals. Additionally, Copeland didn’t give up on chasing her dream of becoming a principal dancer at the ABT, even when she was judged for being the only African American and for having a different physical appearance than the rest of her company. Misty Copeland serves as an inspiration to me and to others because throughout her life, she proved time and time again that a little girl with big aspirations was able to achieve her dreams, but that it didn’t come easy. She demonstrates to me to fight for and follow my dreams, regardless of how difficult it may be. Misty Copeland became the first African American principal ballerina with one of the most prestigious ballet companies in the world, and broke racial barriers which motivates me to always try my hardest, especially if a situation seems hopeless. Additionally, Copeland teaches me to not let any difficulties or deprivations serve as an excuse for me to not always push myself, as she endured poverty and an unsteady childhood. Although, the struggles she faced are in no comparison to myself, which proves that if she was able to fight through some of life's toughest situations, then so can I. Misty Copeland had a late introduction to dance, but pushed herself to catch up to everyone else. As a result, she became a principal ballerina at the ABT, the highest rank of prestige for a ballerina. Similar to Misty Copeland, I also started dancing later than most, but was determined to be the hardest working person in the room. In just a short while, I now dance with some of the highest-level dancers at my studio, doing what I love, and following my passion. The little girl who had once been lying on her motel room floor, day dreaming about dancing at the ABT was now breaking barriers, making history, and proving that a small, minority child with big aspirations was able to achieve what seemed to be the impossible. Misty Copeland has proved time and time again that her impactfulness on people’s everyday lives and society’s views, along with perseverance through bias’ has defined her as a true hero.

Works Consulted

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