Misty Copeland

I want to share the ballet world with everyone.

— Misty Copeland

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

— Misty Copeland

I know I will never let myself be complacent in life.

— Misty Copeland

Without my mentors there is no Misty.

— Misty Copeland

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

— Misty Copeland

I love heels. I'm 5-foot-2, and I like feeling tall.

— Misty Copeland

Ballet.something pure in this crazy world

— Misty Copeland

I will never reach perfection.

— Misty Copeland

I definitely like to be natural and more relaxed and not wear a lot of makeup.

— Misty Copeland

I was definitely a late bloomer and didn't really come into my own until I was probably in my 20s.

— Misty Copeland

I had some really incredible people who mentored me and gave me things I never got from my parents.

— Misty Copeland

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

— Misty Copeland

I know that most of the time I have to work overtime to do everything that I want to.

— Misty Copeland

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

— Misty Copeland

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

— Misty Copeland

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

— Misty Copeland

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

— Misty Copeland

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

— Misty Copeland

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…

— Misty Copeland

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

— Misty Copeland

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

— Misty Copeland

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

— Misty Copeland

I don't eat a ton of pasta or bread. But I eat dessert almost every night, and I drink. You need a…

— Misty Copeland

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

— Misty Copeland

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

— Misty Copeland

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

— Misty Copeland

My family didn't have very much money, so ballet wasn't even on my radar; I just found it randomly when I was…

— Misty Copeland

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

— 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.…

— Misty Copeland

Ballet found me, I guess you could say. I was discovered by a teacher in middle school. I always danced my whole…

— Misty Copeland

Just to get into a company like ABT is a dream come true, but to have all of these opportunities on top…

— Misty Copeland

I never knew I wanted to become a ballerina. I was discovered at the age of 13. I had a love for…

— 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…

— Misty Copeland

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

— Misty Copeland

Take advantage of the resources around you and the relationships you build!

— Misty Copeland

The path to your success is not as fixed and inflexible as you think.

— Misty Copeland

I try my best to really think about things before I react and respond.

— Misty Copeland

I try to consider people's perspectives and not just my own.

— Misty Copeland

I think that training is the key, definitely, and I devoted my life to it.

— Misty Copeland

I had always been proud of my body - its strength and grace enabled me to pursue my passions.

— Misty Copeland