Misty Copeland Quotes

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Misty Copeland

Profession : Dancer

Birth : September 10, 1982

My first ballet class was on a basketball court. I'm in my gym clothes and my socks trying to do this thing called ballet. I didn't know anything about it.

Misty Copeland

My favorite role of all? Whatever I'm working on in the moment.

Misty Copeland

40 years old is about the time a principal dancer would start to think about retirement, but some go on to dance a little bit longer than that.

Misty Copeland

As a child, I had been told that I was exactly what a ballerina should be.

Misty Copeland

Once you become a professional, to get through a ballet like 'Swan Lake' - four acts as the lead, changing character - the perseverance is incredible. It takes a lot to make it through and keep the same energy throughout the entire performance.

Misty Copeland

I've gotten nothing but warmth from the Black community and positive feedback.

Misty Copeland

I had some really incredible people who mentored me and gave me things I never got from my parents.

Misty Copeland

My curves became an integral part of who I am as a dancer, not something I needed to lose to become one.

Misty Copeland

At least in my performances, the audience has become so diverse in a way that I don't think ballet has ever experienced.

Misty Copeland

When people meet me in person, they're usually surprised at how petite I am because there's this idea that because I'm black, I just look a certain way.

Misty Copeland

Ballet became this escape for me. I feel like I was on my own a lot. I was searching for stability, so I was going off on my own and imagining what I thought stability was. Ballet became a way for me to cope.

Misty Copeland

Before dance came into my life, I don't really remember having any major goals or dreams of wanting to be anything.

Misty Copeland

I grew up poor in San Pedro, California, sleeping on the floor of shady motels with my five siblings and not always sure when or where I'd get my next meal.

Misty Copeland

A young girl reached out to me to be her mentor one day, which I didn't really know anything about. What I did remember was what it was to be alone as an African-American dancer in the ballet world and wanting to connect with someone who looks like me.

Misty Copeland

Ballet was this thing that just felt so innate in me, like I was meant to be doing this.

Misty Copeland

I was definitely a late bloomer and didn't really come into my own until I was probably in my 20s.

Misty Copeland

There are hundreds of stories I've heard from black women from my generation, generations before me, and the next, that have never been given an opportunity to fulfill their dreams.

Misty Copeland

'The Company' was interesting. I didn't love it, although it might be compelling to someone who isn't a dancer. There wasn't a lot of dialogue, and you were just kind of observing the creative process of choreography and in class.

Misty Copeland

I didn't care how much work it would take, and I didn't see the time invested as a waste or like I was missing out on anything. Ballet became my ultimate passion.

Misty Copeland

I wake up every morning, and I go to ballet class no matter what's going on the night before. That's my priority, and that's what makes me feel sane and not removed from the realities of my world.

Misty Copeland