What you put into your body is just as important as how hard you dance. I believe with the right training and an understanding of how to take care of your body, you can mold it to be whatever you want it to be. – Misty Copeland
Be strong, be fearless, be beautiful. And believe that anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you. – Misty Copeland
Perseverance has always just been something that was in me. And it was a tool that came in very handy as a ballerina. – Misty Copeland
It’s all so surreal, and I’m living my dream. And you know, principal or not, I’m getting to dance all the roles that I’ve dreamed of doing. – Misty Copeland
I don’t eat a ton of pasta or bread. But I eat dessert almost every night, and I drink. You need a bit of balance, and I’ve found mine. – 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
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
When it came to my childhood – growing up in a single-parent home, often struggling financially – my mother definitely instilled in me and my siblings this strength, this will, to just continue to survive and succeed. – Misty Copeland
I think that having a platform and having a voice to be seen by people beyond the classical ballet world has really been my power, I feel. – Misty Copeland
‘The Firebird’ just symbolizes a lot for me and my career. It was one of the first really big principal roles that I was ever given an opportunity to dance with American Ballet Theatre, and it was a huge step for the African-American community, I think, within the classical ballet world. – 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
Ballet found me, I guess you could say. I was discovered by a teacher in middle school. I always danced my whole life. I never had any training, never was exposed to seeing dance, but I always had something inside of me. I would love to choreograph and dance around. – Misty Copeland
I’ve always approached my career and my life, you know, one day at a time, as if this was the last day that I’m going, because you never know as an athlete and as a dancer. You never know what can happen today, tomorrow. – Misty Copeland
Dance kind of was always just a part of my natural state as a child. It’s something that, whenever music was playing, I was dancing. – Misty Copeland
When I was younger, my feet would hurt a lot, but you build up calluses and strength, and you don’t feel as much pain there. But then again, it’s a give and take. The older you get, you may feel pain in your back or your hips. – Misty Copeland
I feel like going to class every morning is so humbling. You’re always working to improve, and you’re always being critiqued on your next performance. It’s not about what you’ve done. There’s always room to grow. – Misty Copeland
I feel like with ‘On the Town,’ it was the perfect production and the perfect opportunity. – Misty Copeland