Misty Copeland: Conquering Racism in the World of Ballet

 

Misty Copeland, photo by Henry Leutwyler

Misty Copeland is a famous ballet dancer for the American Ballet Theatre and is the first African-American woman to do so. She has been an inspiration for me growing up as a black figure skater, which is a sport that often intertwines with ballet. Copeland is a Pro-c creative since she is a professional ballet dancer, unlike me who did figure skating competitively but not professionally. However, while Copeland is miles ahead of me in terms of physical ability, we both used the movement of our bodies as a creative outlet and a form of self-expression.

Let me outline right here that it is very difficult to perform in sports and activities that are usually dominated by our white counterparts. It took a level of divergent thinking to even consider entering the world of ballet. Not only that, but Copeland did not follow the traditional path to her dance career at all. She started ballet when she was 13 years old, which unfortunately, in both dance and figure skating, is considered old, since your bodies has to be conditioned from a very young age. She had been told all her life that her body was “too muscular” and that her skin color was problematic for “aesthetic reasons”. Despite these challenges, Misty Copeland made herself a very successful career and has written several books to inspire young dancers.

These books included Bunheads, Life in Motion: an Unlikely Ballerina, Firebird, and so much more. Bunheads in particular fascinated me, because it included both real and fictional children from Copeland’s life from many different backgrounds and described their journeys as dancers. It was in these books that she used convergent thinking and self-reflection to try to teach a younger audience about what the world is like, and how being considered “different” can be an advantage since there is so much, we can learn from each other.

Copeland was offered to dance at the ABT when she was still in high school, which shows her commitment, drive, and creativity to the art. Throughout her ballet journey, Copeland had to revolutionize the field of ballet and redefine what was considered beautiful. The culture was toxic and exclusionary, but she fought and resisted the prejudice she constantly faced. Not only that, but her creative process itself involved “bringing herself into it” rather than just trying to follow the steps prescribed to ballet dancers for hundreds of years. Angyal reports in her article that Copeland “shows strength, elegance, musicality, and heart and soul in her dancing.” Following given choreography is one thing, but making it seem unique is an admirable creative skill. Overall, Misty Copeland is a wonderful creative that has and continues to inspire others to break the representation barrier and pursue their dreams.