Tonya (Tanya) Mosley

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You know, Misty, many people who are first, there is a burden that you carry, sometimes with pride that you're undergoing all of this mental and physical pain of being the first so that those who come after you don't have to experience that.

You say, like, I'm going to carry this burden and deal with all that comes with it.

But then you find the Raven Wilkinsons of the world, a Black woman in ballet from the 1950s, decades before you.

And then you realize, oh, there were several, maybe even many firsts, but they were intentionally erased.

Did you ever at any point feel angry about that?

Because you're so poised in talking about it in such a beautiful way that allows everyone into the conversation.

But was there ever a moment where you're just like...

What the heck, you know?

Is it true that your mother also studied dance when she was young?

Most of us go through a stage of rebellion when we're coming of age.

And I was curious, what did your rebellion look like?

What changed?

What was the thing that made you realize, like, I'm doing this because I want to do it, and now it doesn't feel so great?

Let's take a short break.

If you're just joining us, my guest is Misty Copeland, the groundbreaking ballerina who recently retired from the American Ballet Theater.

We'll continue our conversation after a short break.

This is Fresh Air.

I want to ask you just a few questions about your relationship with Prince because it was a pretty defining time period in your life.