Misty Copeland

I think anyone who knew me would say she was very quiet, but she was always very happy outside.

And, you know, I had severe migraines growing up.

And I remember I would have to leave school early sometimes, like to the point of vomiting.

And it was just like all this stress that I held inside, but somehow was able to still remain like very pleasant on the outside.

I think also just watching my mom navigate.

life and raising six children on her own and dealing with you know a lot and so I feel like my relationship with pain yeah it started very early like I can remember like seven years old probably and so coming into the dance world

And experiencing just the, I mean, leaving injury out of it, just the pain of what it takes to train in ballet and be an athlete, the mental strength, all of that, I think was very innate, very natural for me.

Yeah.

I think the first time I ever did it, I must have been 14, performing with Debbie Allen in California, in Los Angeles.

She was a mentor of mine in her version of the Nutcracker, which at the time she was calling the Chocolate Nutcracker.

And that was the very first time that I was understanding like what the ballet shoe even represents and what the tights mean.

And it's an extension of yourself and your skin and it should be the same color.

I was wearing brown tights then and painting my shoes.

But I would continue to do that throughout the course of my career at ABT.

And I would just go to the drugstore and get whatever the cheapest liquid foundation was.

and put it on my shoes.

I mean, it's not meant to be danced, and it doesn't have the right ingredients and consistency.

It's going to be very slippery.

But it's the first thing that a young dancer receives is their leotard, their ballet slippers, and their tights.

And that's just right there saying, for a black or brown dancer, this isn't for you.