I absolutely love what I do. And I want to dance for as long as I can and feel good about what… — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
I feel like I represent every young dancer, and even non-dancer, who felt they were not accepted by the ballet world. I'd… — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
Ballet became this escape for me. I feel like I was on my own a lot. I was searching for stability, so… — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
I learned how to communicate and articulate myself from ballet. It's just insane to me, when they don't think of that as… — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
Dance kind of was always just a part of my natural state as a child. It's something that, whenever music was playing,… — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
Hopefully, I'll be a part of ABT, in some way, forever. I think I'll always be a part of ballet and try… — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
Just as a child, before I ever knew what ballet was, there was something in me where I was always searching for… — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
Before dance came into my life, I don't really remember having any major goals or dreams of wanting to be anything. — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
I'm definitely very careful about the things that I want to be a part of, but it's also important for me to… — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
My first ballet class was on a basketball court. I'm in my gym clothes and my socks trying to do this thing… — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
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 Copy Share Image
I think that I'm so fortunate to have found classical ballet. It completely changed my life and it shaped the person that… — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
40 years old is about the time a principal dancer would start to think about retirement, but some go on to dance… — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
It takes a lot of money to be a part of the ballet world. Both the training and the supplies are expensive,… — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
I want the ballet world to be given the respect that it deserves and to be seen by more people - for… — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
I think most people don't really understand all that it takes to stand on your toes, and to be able to jump… — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
My career came together very quickly. I only trained for four years before I became a professional, so I didn't have a… — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
At least in my performances, the audience has become so diverse in a way that I don't think ballet has ever experienced. — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
I say over and over again that I am just standing on the shoulders of so many who have set this path… — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
Depending on the level you're at in your company, the higher you go up in rank, usually the longer you can dance. — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
It's hard to be the one that stands out when, you know, in a ballet company, you're trying to create unison and… — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
I traced the marley floor with my pointe shoes, and imagine myself on the stage, not as a member of the corps, but as… — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
When I was 16, I moved to Torrance, California to train at a more advanced studio, and by 19, I joined the American Ballet… — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
To be empathetic to everyone around you, I think, is such a powerful thing to hold. — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
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. — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
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… — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
Be strong, be fearless, be beautiful. And believe that anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you. — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
The woman represents ballet. She is most important, powerful and vital to it. Therefore, she is not "less than" a man. If anything she… — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
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… — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
I never experienced getting nervous on stage. I think I was most comfortable there. — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
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… — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
I think that the ideal physique and look of a ballerina is always changing with different eras. And it's continuing to change. — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
Once you become a professional, to get through a ballet like 'Swan Lake' - four acts as the lead, changing character - the perseverance… — Misty Copeland Copy Share Image
