Misty Copeland

You don't belong.

No, you know, I definitely knew that there were certain roles I couldn't do that in.

So if I was doing a more contemporary role, modern, then I would wear my skin color shoes.

But the conversation has now evolved into, well, what classical works can we allow for dancers of color to wear their shoes?

their skin color in.

And so every company has kind of come up with their own set of rules, I guess, because we're kind of just making it up as we go along because it's always been this way that when you do a classical work, everyone wears pink tights and pink shoes.

And

And so I know at ABT, they've evolved with, I know Giselle, they allow for the corps de ballet dancers now to all wear their own skin color.

I believe in Swan Lake, they still wear pink.

But, you know, this is an ongoing kind of learning, evolving thing.

And the fact that we're even at this point and companies are having the conversation is huge.

Well, when I started dancing, I wore lamb's wool or whatever kind of padding is what you put on your shoes.

That was with my first ballet teacher.

When I moved to my second ballet school where I was training, I think I was about 15 when I moved to that school, she didn't allow for anything.

for us to wear anything in her shoes.

She said she could see the loss of the articulation in the toes, like when you have something between your foot and the shoe that you don't have as much control.

And I remember just being so terrified of her because she could tell if I snuck a little bit of tissue or anything in my shoe.

I would go up on point and she would say, Misty, there's something in your shoe.

And I'm like, how?

does she know?