Interview, Fireside Chat
Misty Copeland, Soloist for American Ballet Theatre: Talks at GS Session Highlights
- Misty Copeland expects to continue her dancing career for another eight to 10 years, stopping only when she feels she no longer appears capable.
- She anticipates structural changes in the ballet world to increase diversity and expand the acceptance of different bodies, including more "brown girls," without altering the core classical technique or existing repertoire.
- Copeland expects the "Project Plie" initiative between American Ballet Theater and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America to continue growing to provide top-notch training in every community.
- She asserts that dancers typically start professional training between ages 3 and 7, with the critical period occurring between 7 and 13, and that strength required for pointe work is usually established between ages 11 and 13.
- Regarding late starters, she estimates four years of training are needed to audition for a major company, noting her own career began at age 13 with only four years of training before joining American Ballet Theater, where chances were initially slim.
- Copeland expects that by age 29, a dancer must have become a principal or face a career wall, describing the role of Firebird at that age as a "this is kind of it" opportunity.
- She describes a painful recovery period of approximately one year following tibia surgery involving a metal plate and screws, which she describes as "life or death" for her career.
- She states that despite the surgery and metal plate, she still feels pain on impact but expects the bone to remain strong, having reassessed her technique to protect her bones moving forward.
- Copeland anticipates that teenagers joining major companies undergo a significant transitional period involving body changes, such as breast development and different muscle growth, often without adequate support systems.
- She expects to see a more diverse audience invited into classical ballet to keep the art form relevant, while maintaining that the core classics do not need to be modernized to appeal to younger viewers.
- Copeland expects to continue battling issues regarding race in the ballet world, acknowledging her path as a Black ballerina is inseparable from her identity and that she has had to rely on external opportunities for broader recognition.
- She believes that with support systems, she no longer doubts her belonging, yet she accepts the responsibility to set an example for future generations.
- Copeland notes her hyperextended legs, which she describes as both a gift for classical line and a difficulty for training, stating she no longer fits the traditional Balanchine ideal due to physical changes after puberty.
- She emphasizes that building the necessary strength for pointe work and professional dance requires years of gradual training without skipping steps.
- Copeland intends to invite a more diverse audience to performances and believes that eventually, race should not be a primary topic in the ballet world.