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Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Misty Copeland Breaks Barriers One Pirouette at a Time


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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