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Dance Quotes by Misty Copeland

98 Dance quotes by Misty Copeland

All Dance quotes Misty Copeland’s page

I traced the marble floor with my pointe shoes, imagining myself on stage as a principal dancer. The quotes show how a first ballet class can start on a basketball court in gym clothes, yet perseverance can lead to lead roles like Swan Lake. They also stress that being in class daily keeps a dancer humble and grounded.

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I want to share the ballet world with everyone.

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Finding ballet was like finding this missing piece of myself.

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Don't hold on to the barre like, 'I might die.' It's just ballet.

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My goal has always been to be a principal dancer with ABT.

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The higher you go up in rank, usually the longer you can dance.

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

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Ballet was so structured. I'd been craving something that could guide me.

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Ballet.something pure in this crazy world

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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…

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It takes a lot of money to be a part of the ballet world. Both the training and the supplies are expensive,…

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My curves became an integral part of who I am as a dancer, not something I needed to lose to become one.

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I will never be the best dancer or artist. I will be growing until the day I retire.

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In a ballet company, you're trying to create unison and uniform when you're in a cour de ballet.

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I believe that I definitely developed into a refined and graceful woman due to ballet. It has shaped me in every way.

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Ballet was this thing that just felt so innate in me, like I was meant to be doing this.

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I think that having a platform and having a voice to be seen by people beyond the classical ballet world has really…

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I wake up every morning, and I go to ballet class no matter what's going on the night before. That's my priority,…

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Most ballerinas take their first ballet class when they are 5 or 6 years old. I was 13 when I took mine…

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That something that I fought so hard for throughout the beginning of my career is I didn't want to pancake my skin…

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When you see the body outside of a costume and see the strength that it takes, people would look at dance a…

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The woman represents ballet. She is most important, powerful and vital to it. Therefore, she is not "less than" a man. If…

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I haven’t come from the typical path or background of someone who would make it to this level as a ballerina. When…

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What you put into your body is just as important as how hard you dance. I believe with the right training and…

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I feel like I represent every young dancer, and even non-dancer, who felt they were not accepted by the ballet world. I'd…

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Just as a child, before I ever knew what ballet was, there was something in me where I was always searching for…

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I think most people don't really understand all that it takes to stand on your toes, and to be able to jump…

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To have a platform like So You Think You Can Dance, where you're reaching this audience that's been created over the 10…

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I absolutely love what I do. And I want to dance for as long as I can and feel good about what…

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As a child, I had been told that I was exactly what a ballerina should be.

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The ballet world I don't think is an art form that is quick to change or to adjust or evolve.

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

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I'm a classical ballet dancer, and at the end of the day I want to be with American Ballet Theater, performing classical…

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Hopefully, I'll be a part of ABT, in some way, forever. I think I'll always be a part of ballet and try…

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I learned how to communicate and articulate myself from ballet. It's just insane to me, when they don't think of that as…

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It's a European art form, and you're used to seeing a certain type of person as a ballerina. And I don't look…

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My first ballet class was on a basketball court. I'm in my gym clothes and my socks trying to do this thing…

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Before dance came into my life, I don't really remember having any major goals or dreams of wanting to be anything.

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I absolutely love what I do, and I want to dance for as long as I can and feel good about what…

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I think that I'm so fortunate to have found classical ballet. It completely changed my life and it shaped the person that…

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When I was dancing, I felt in control and happy. I'm a Virgo, so I really like to be in control.

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More by Misty Copeland

I traced the marley floor with my pointe shoes, and imagine myself on the stage, not as a member of the corps, but as…

When I was 16, I moved to Torrance, California to train at a more advanced studio, and by 19, I joined the American Ballet…

To be empathetic to everyone around you, I think, is such a powerful thing to hold.

My first ballet class was on a basketball court. I'm in my gym clothes and my socks trying to do this thing called ballet.

There are muscles that we have in our feet that most human beings don't even know that we have. The strength that we have…

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

The woman represents ballet. She is most important, powerful and vital to it. Therefore, she is not "less than" a man. If anything she…

If I'm put in a situation where I am not really sure what's going to happen, it can be overwhelming. I get a bit…

I never experienced getting nervous on stage. I think I was most comfortable there.

The word "prodigy" was thrown around a lot, but I didn't understand what that meant, or the weight of it. It didn't really mean…

I think that the ideal physique and look of a ballerina is always changing with different eras. And it's continuing to change.

Once you become a professional, to get through a ballet like 'Swan Lake' - four acts as the lead, changing character - the perseverance…

Perseverance has always just been something that was in me. And it was a tool that came in very handy as a ballerina.

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…

I grew up poor in San Pedro, California, sleeping on the floor of shady motels with my five siblings and not always sure when…