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19 Things You Need to Know About Misty Copeland

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On Tuesday, June 30, 2015, Misty Copeland made history when she was promoted to the rank of Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theater, which is the highest position a ballet dancer can achieve. Her promotion is made all the more remarkable by the fact that she is the first African-American woman to reach this rank in the 75-year history of the company.


This season marks the 32-year-old ballerina’s fifteenth year with the company. The announcement of her promotion came just days after her stunning debut as Odette/Odile in ABT’s Swan Lake at the Metropolitan Opera House. Misty nearly broke the Internet herself with all of the congratulations and accolades flowing in from the long overdue honor.

Aside from being one of the most iconic ballerinas of all time, Misty is absolutely stunning inside and out. If you hadn’t heard of her before now, we are here to fill you in because although Misty has achieved the highest rank possible, the sky is truly the limit for Miss Copeland.

Here are 19 things you need to know about this dynamic dancer!

1. Misty did not start dancing until she was 13 years old which is considered very late for a ballet dancer.

She began taking classes at the Boys & Girls club in San Pedro, California.

2. She was nearly homeless as a child.

Seeing her single mother struggle to raise her and her five siblings instilled within her the need to succeed and rise above her situation.

3. Just one year after she began dancing, Misty won a national ballet competition.

A year later, she would win first place at the Los Angeles Music Center Spotlight Awards which secured her place as the best dancer in the Greater Los Angeles Area.

4.  She was told that she had the wrong body for ballet.

Um bye haters, obviously she is totally #bodygoals.

5. Misty joined the American Ballet Theater Studio Company 15 years ago in 2000.

The studio company is ABT’s second company.

6. She became a member of the Corps de ballet in 2001.

The Corps de ballet consists of the lowest ranked dancers in a company.

7. She spent a majority of her first year in the company sidelined due to a back injury.

In her early years in the company, she felt out of place due to her body structure and ethnicity.

8.  Misty is only 5’2”.

Her gorgeous extension and to-die-for muscles would have you believe otherwise, but the powerhouse ballerina is actually very petite.

9. She was named to the 2003 class of Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch."

It was in 2003 that she also began dancing featured roles in the company’s ballets.

10. She was promoted to soloist in 2007.

At the age of 24, she was one of the youngest ABT dancers to be promoted to soloist.

11. In 2009, Copeland filmed a music video with Prince.

In 2010, he asked her to perform with him with him during the New Jersey/New York portion of his Welcome 2 America tour.

12. By 2012, she was dancing numerous leading roles, although she was still just a soloist.

She was first cast as the lead in The Firebird which she performed at the Metropolitan Opera House in June of 2012. Little did she know that three years later she would make her debut in the same theater as another famous bird.

13. In March 2014 Copeland's autobiography, Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina, was released.

Her inspiring story was an instant success and further solidified her place as not only a famous ballerina, but also a role model.

14. Misty became a sponsored athlete of Under Armour in 2014.

She taught us the empowering phrase: I Will What I Want.

15. She was featured as a guest judge on Season 11 of So You Think You Can Dance.

And let’s face it, we wanted Misty’s approval more than we wanted to be on the Hot Tamale Train (sorry, Mary!)

16. Misty was selected for the 2015 Time 100.

She was the first dancer to appear since Bill T. Jones was on the cover in 1994.

17. She made her debut as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet at the Metropolitan Opera House on June 16, 2015.

Copeland actually danced this role a few days before her intended debut.

18. Misty made her debut in ABT’s Swan Lake on June 24, 2015.

This performance was just days before her promotion to principal dancer.

19. June 30, 2015, Misty Copeland made history as American Ballet Theater’s first African-American, female Principal Dancer.


History in the making.

Congratulations, Misty!


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