Misty Copeland

Growing up, I was surrounded by R&B and Hip-Hop, and the closest thing I could find to dance was gymnastics which I…

— Misty Copeland

If the rhythm or beat of the music changes with a live orchestra, you have to think on your feet. If you…

— Misty Copeland

Ballet was exactly what I was searching for, but my environment definitely made me the dancer and the person that I am…

— Misty Copeland

Everything I was being shown was ABT, so I grew up watching these videos of [Mikhail] Baryshnikov, Gelsey [Kirkland] and Paloma [Herrera].…

— Misty Copeland

The best piece of advice that I remember probably on a daily basis is to accept everything about me that is different.…

— Misty Copeland

I am a black woman, and my experiences would not be what they are if I wasn't. I'm so happy to share…

— Misty Copeland

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

— Misty Copeland

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

— Misty Copeland

Being the only African American at this level in American Ballet Theater, I feel like people are looking at me, and it's…

— 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…

— Misty Copeland

I think most people think of ballerinas as kind of either as a fairytale, far-away thing that's really not attainable, something they…

— Misty Copeland

I had no idea what I was walking into, and the years and years of hard work it would take. I felt…

— Misty Copeland

I think body-image issues are not just a dancer thing. I think we're much more in tune and aware because the body…

— Misty Copeland

Finding great training, I think, is number one. I did a lot of research and found really great teachers, and it just…

— Misty Copeland

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

— 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

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

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

— 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

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

— Misty Copeland

I do think that it's a responsibility when there are so few of us as African Americans to kind of get to…

— 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…

— 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

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

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

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

— Misty Copeland

I believe I am yet to dance my favorite role, but I am pretty open to adapting to different characters. I would…

— Misty Copeland

Barack Obama being President of the United States doesn't mean racism has disappeared. It's all a process, and we have to be…

— Misty Copeland

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

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

When I was younger, my feet would hurt a lot, but you build up calluses and strength, and you don't feel as…

— Misty Copeland

I was seventeen when I moved to New York. I was nineteen when I joined the main company. I was going through…

— Misty Copeland

It's hard to change someone's ideas when they might not even really consciously know that they're being racist, or have racist ideas,…

— Misty Copeland

I don't want to be anything else other than a ballerina. I love what I do outside of my work, but at…

— Misty Copeland

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

— Misty Copeland

I remind myself everyday just how lucky I am to do what I love! I feel so fortunate and I'm just trying…

— Misty Copeland

I think, as a child, there weren't dreams. I can't recall as a child having some ultimate dream and thinking that it…

— Misty Copeland

When it came to my childhood - growing up in a single-parent home, often struggling financially - my mother definitely instilled in…

— Misty Copeland

When people meet me in person, they're usually surprised at how petite I am because there's this idea that because I'm black,…

— Misty Copeland