Grace, power, beauty, poise: these words and so many more come to mind as you watch Misty Copeland pirouette across the stage of the American Ballet Theater.
Her passion for ballet is not only evident in the way she dances but also on her face. Beaming with pride, she executes a pas de chat that’s completely “on pointe.”
Audiences rave over this soloist’s talents, yet few know Misty Copeland’s story. Many great dancers start lessons when they’re as young as five, but Ms. Copeland didn’t apply until she was thirteen. This is the response to her application: “Dear Candidate, Thank you for your application to our ballet academy. Unfortunately, you have not been accepted.
You lack the right feet, Achilles tendons, turnout, torso length, and bust. You have the wrong body for ballet, and at thirteen, you are too old to be considered.”
Most young teen girls would’ve given up in tears, despairing over their “imperfect bodies,” but not Misty Copeland. She found a ballet academy that was less judgmental and began her dance studies in earnest. It was a lot of hard work, but by the age of fifteen, she was being presented with professional offers and had already won first place in a national ballet competition and been awarded her first solo role. Pretty impressive for someone with such a “flawed” physique.
This video tells the amazing story of Misty Copeland: a girl who was told “you can’t” but went on to prove them all wrong.