Misty Copeland

It's surrender. It's presence. It's joy.

Yeah. I mean, I think that it being a mother and having my son has like allowed me to let go even more. And maybe that's why it's been easy for me to transition, you know, and easy to, you know, that this is a new part of my identity as well. And it doesn't have to all be ballerina anymore. And as a performer, so much focus is on you.

Yeah. I mean, I think that it being a mother and having my son has like allowed me to let go even more. And maybe that's why it's been easy for me to transition, you know, and easy to, you know, that this is a new part of my identity as well. And it doesn't have to all be ballerina anymore. And as a performer, so much focus is on you.

And to be able to now not do that and to be giving it to my son and for my family in a different way, it's so fulfilling and it just feels like the right time to do it.

And to be able to now not do that and to be giving it to my son and for my family in a different way, it's so fulfilling and it just feels like the right time to do it.

Dance is such an integral part of every culture. And for some reason, it's not valued in the same way that music is or fashion is or food is.

Dance is such an integral part of every culture. And for some reason, it's not valued in the same way that music is or fashion is or food is.

Hi.

Hi.

I'm good. How are you? I'm good.

I'm good. How are you? I'm good.

There were other stickers in my locker, too, that were probably worse than that. I would say that I've been at that same locker since I was 17 years old. So it's been a long time. And it definitely, those were during very rebellious times where it was like, I mean, I don't know if you'd say rebellious, but feeling like I was working uphill. And so there was a lot of that in the beginning.

There were other stickers in my locker, too, that were probably worse than that. I would say that I've been at that same locker since I was 17 years old. So it's been a long time. And it definitely, those were during very rebellious times where it was like, I mean, I don't know if you'd say rebellious, but feeling like I was working uphill. And so there was a lot of that in the beginning.

I feel, especially internally, definitely not something I was like screaming. You know, I've always been very introverted. So it was like I'm expressing myself and the inside of my locker.

I feel, especially internally, definitely not something I was like screaming. You know, I've always been very introverted. So it was like I'm expressing myself and the inside of my locker.

Oh, God, this is so inappropriate. My boss is like a diaper full of shit and always on my ass. Oh, my God. I mean, I was young.

Oh, God, this is so inappropriate. My boss is like a diaper full of shit and always on my ass. Oh, my God. I mean, I was young.

I think that... Whenever you're approaching a situation where things have been done a certain way for forever and change needs to happen, that there's going to be really difficult and uncomfortable times. And I think that that was 15 years of my career.

I think that... Whenever you're approaching a situation where things have been done a certain way for forever and change needs to happen, that there's going to be really difficult and uncomfortable times. And I think that that was 15 years of my career.

where I felt like I needed to fully be who I am and not bend and twist to fit what I thought they wanted or what I'm seeing in front of me, which I will never be able to be that because I'm not a white woman and I don't fit into this idealized mold of what a ballerina is supposed to be.