Misty Copeland: why ballet has so few black dancers

Misty Copeland became the first Black female principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) after a childhood marked by abuse and instability, finding safety and purpose in ballet starting at age 11–13.

• She began dancing on a basketball court six to seven months prior to her first performance, joining a studio on a full scholarship which provided her with her first consistent community.
• Copeland advocates for the inclusion of the arts in school curricula, arguing that they foster empathy, sympathy, and a vital sense of security for children.

Copeland describes her early professional years at ABT as a "shock" to her system, noting she was the only dancer of color in the company for 11 years.

• She initially questioned her status, doubting she was the "best" or the first Black dancer capable of such success, until she researched the histories of predecessors like Raven Wilkinson, Janet Collins, and Lauren Anderson.
• She credits Kevin McKenzie, former ABT director, with giving her the "true opportunity" required to make history, a role she did not receive until she actively researched and demanded visibility.

Copeland asserts that Black dancers have historically faced discrimination regarding casting and aesthetic perceptions.

• She reveals she was removed from the second act of a filmed Swan Lake because executives felt her skin tone would "ruin the aesthetic" of the corps de ballet line.
• She notes that dancers of color are frequently typecast as "earthy" or "over-sexualized" roles rather than being cast as "soft" or "ethereal" characters.
• Copeland argues that the "purity of technique" in ballet should render color irrelevant, asserting that artistic roles like the Swan are fantasy characters not defined by race.

Copeland calls for the elimination of blackface in ballet, citing a specific conflict with the Bolshoi Ballet over their production of La Bayadere.

• She compares the continued use of blackface to historical monuments that should be moved to museums rather than displayed in modern culture, noting it alienates entire communities.
• She questions the logic of allowing white performers to wear blackface for certain roles while restricting Black performers from playing non-Black characters like fairies or white swans.

Regarding her advisory role for President Obama on fitness policy, Copeland draws parallels between the inspiration her historic casting provided and the impact of Obama's presidency.

• She views both her promotion and Obama's election as pivotal moments that gave marginalized groups a "new beginning" and expanded their vision of possible futures.
• She maintains that these historical breakthroughs are irreversible achievements that fundamentally altered the trajectory for young Americans of color.