Thursday, March 28, 2024

Misty Copeland Says Success a Big Deal Because ‘I’m a Black Woman’

Misty Copeland
Misty Copeland

*Essence editor-in-chief Vanessa De Luca said “it was an easy decision” to put ballerina Misty Copeland on the cover of the magazine’s September fashion issue.

“Not only is she gorgeous and a force to be reckoned with in the dance community, but she also realizes what this moment represents to so many,” De Luca told The Huffington Post. “Her story of defeating the odds despite the challenges in front of her is an inspiration to us all — especially little girls who dream of becoming ballerinas when they grow up.”

The 32-year-old dancer made history recently by becoming the first black principal dancer in the American Ballet Theatre’s 75 years of existence.

“I never saw a ballerina who looked like me before,” Copeland has said. “And I’m here to be a vessel for all these brown ballerinas who have come before me.”

Misty Copeland for Essence
Misty Copeland

Copeland’s rise to fame serves as an inspiration for young dancers who don’t fit the standard.

“I’m going to continue to be who I am and my experiences as a black woman have made me who I am,” Copeland told Essence. “All of a sudden now that I’m in this position, I’m not going to say, ‘I’m just a dancer.’ It’s a huge deal because I’m a black woman. That’s why it’s a big deal.”

Copeland has been dancing with the ABT for over 14 years, nearly eight as a soloist. Most recently, she stunned critics and ballet fans with her dynamic performance as Odette/Odile in “Swan Lake” at the Met.

“Something that my mother instilled in me, as a biracial woman herself, and me being biracial, was that the world was going to view me as a black woman, no matter what I decided to do,” Copeland said at the Time 100 gala, where she was honored. “I had no idea that was going to be my truth at some point in my life, when I moved to New York City at 17 years old and joined American Ballet Theatre and realized I was the only African American woman in a company of 80 dancers.”

Essence’s September issue hits newsstands August 14.

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