Misty Copeland appeared on my radar in September 2014 after I
heard her story on National Public Radio. Morning Edition host, Steve Inskeep,
had a captivating conversation with the ballerina about her book Firebird and
what it’s like to be a Black ballerina.
On June 30, 2015, Copeland popped up again on my radar. Turns
out that the 32 year-old dancer broke barriers and made history. Copeland was named
principal dancer at the American Ballet Theater Company. She is the first Black-American female to hold this position.
As Copeland was pursuing her passion naysayers told her that
her body was too bulky for ballet. She was told at the age of 13 that she was
too old to continue her goals as a dancer. It makes me wonder what Copeland’s cynics
are saying now. I bet they are wondering how this bulky, Black-American woman
was promoted to principal dancer in her 30s.
It just goes to show that perseverance will get you exactly where
you want to be in life. What are you waiting for?
Take a listen to Copeland’s one-to-one with Steve Inskeep,
which initially aired on Sept. 9, 2014.
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