“Everything I was being shown was ABT, so I grew up watching these videos of [Mikhail] Baryshnikov, Gelsey [Kirkland] and Paloma [Herrera]. Paloma and Angel [Corella] were the first people I ever saw dance live.” PeopleFirstsSawsGrewGrew UpAngelVideo Author:Misty Copeland
“I'm definitely very careful about the things that I want to be a part of, but it's also important for me to get dance out there to more people.” PeopleWantImportantCareful Author:Misty Copeland
“To have a platform like So You Think You Can Dance, where you're reaching this audience that's been created over the 10 years that they've been on the air. People who didn't know anything about dance and aren't going to go to the theater are learning about it, even if it's ballroom and jazz, by just turning their television ono. They're building this audience that's advanced and educated enough to introduce them to ballet.” PeopleIfsThinkingKnowsYearsEnoughAudienceAirTelevisionBuildingTheaterJazzEducatedReachingBalletIntroducingPlatformsBallroom Author:Misty Copeland
“The fact that I was African American was never addressed, and that allowed me to just be a student, like anyone else. I was not aware of how rare it was to be an African American, how rare it was to have four years of training under my belt, and how, even though I could imitate people and fake it, unprepared I was to become a professional.” PeopleYearsFactsFourStudentsTrainingAfrican AmericanFakeFour YearsBeltsUnprepared Author:Misty Copeland
“Those people that don't see the power in art maybe have never been a part of an art, in a real way. To experience it, and to see and witness how it affects people, we're not doing it just to create professionals. It's to add another dimension to the way that children think and the way they experience certain things. If you didn't have dance, music and singing, it just seems so odd to me.” PeopleIfsThinkingWayChildrenArtRealSeemsCertainSingingAddWitnessOddDimensionsDance Music Author:Misty Copeland
“When you see the body outside of a costume and see the strength that it takes, people would look at dance a different way and see how athletic it is. You're not just born like that.” PeopleWayLooksDifferentBodyBornDifferent WaysCostumesAthletic Author:Misty Copeland
“I think most people don't really understand all that it takes to stand on your toes, and to be able to jump and land without any noise, or for a male dancer to be able to lift a girl. All of these things look so effortless, but there's an attention to detail and years of training, as well as being able to transform into a character and being able to meld all of those things together.” PeopleThinkingYearsWellsLooksCharacterAbleTogetherGirlAttentionLandTrainingMalesDetailsNoiseLiftsDancerToesEffortlessAttention To Detail Author:Misty Copeland
“I don't think a lot of people really understand the commitment it takes to being a character that an actor in Hollywood would take to approaching a role that they're doing.” PeopleThinkingCharacterActorsRolesCommitmentHollywood Author:Misty Copeland
“Even if I weren't learning new roles and getting the opportunity to be coached by incredible people, I still think I would be so excited to have an opportunity to continue to push myself and grow, as an artist.” PeopleIfsThinkingStillsWould BeArtistOpportunityGrowsRolesIncrediblesExcitedLearning New Author:Misty Copeland
“Some people even think that I'm still just not right for it [ballet]. And I think it's shocking because they hear those words from critics saying I'm too bulky, I'm too busty. And then they meet me in person and they're like, you look like a ballerina. And I think it's just something maybe that I will never escape from, those people who are narrow-minded. But my mission, my voice, my story, my message, is not for them. And I think it's more important to think of the people that I am influencing and helping to see a broader picture of what beauty is.” PeopleThinkingLooksPersonsStillsImportantHelpingStoriesVoiceInfluenceLike YouMessagesCriticsMissionsBalletShockingBallerinaNarrow-minded Author:Misty Copeland
“What makes people and companies and artistic directors and choreographers interested in working with dancers is the ability to kind of let go of everything you think you know and be a blank canvas.” PeopleThinkingKnowsKindAbilityCompanyDirectorsLetting GoArtisticDancerBlankCanvasChoreographersYou Think You KnowBlank Canvas Author:Misty Copeland
“A lot of people think, "Oh I'm going to eat whatever I want and then go to the gym." And I've definitely been one of those people and it just doesn't give me the results that I need to have the physique of a ballerina.” PeopleThinkingWantNeedsGivingResultsGive MeGymBallerinaPhysique Author:Misty Copeland
“Success is not easy and I think everyone should know that hard work and perseverance and being open to giving back are so much more powerful than stepping all over people to get to the top.” PeopleThinkingKnowsGivingShouldHardEasyPowerfulHard WorkPerseveranceGiving Back Author:Misty Copeland
“Maybe I'm seeing myself in a different way than the people in the audience see me, 'cause to me, I think I look like a ballerina and I feel like a ballerina. But maybe I'm not seeing what other people are seeing.” PeopleThinkingWayFeelsLooksDifferentCausesAudienceSeeingDifferent WaysBallerina Author:Misty Copeland
“When people meet me in person, they're usually surprised at how petite I am because there's just [an] idea that because I'm black I just look a certain way.” PeopleWayLooksPersonsIdeasCertainBlackPetite Author:Misty Copeland
“I try to consider people's perspectives and not just my own.” PeopleTryingMy OwnPerspective Author:Misty Copeland
“I was 17 when I moved to NYC . I'm now 32. But I do know I can't see myself living anywhere else. I love the food, the fashion, art, the intelligence of this city and the people that live in it.” PeopleKnowsArtI CanCitiesFashionMovedNyc Author:Misty Copeland
“How difficult it is to exist, that we are athlete and artist. We have injuries. People don't see the hard side of being a ballerina. They just see this beautiful and effortless thing, and they assume it's easy and cute. I hate when people say it's cute!” PeopleBeautifulArtistHateEasyDifficultI HateAssumingAthleteCuteInjuryBallerina Author:Misty Copeland
