by: Sophia Hull
Misty Copeland is one of the most successful prima ballerinas in the world and the first professional African American dancer with the American Ballet Theater. However, her path to the top was not without obstacles. Misty Copeland and her five other brothers and sisters were raised by a single mother and constantly changed homes. When she first discovered ballet she was 13 and living in an old motel room. Despite starting at such a late age, she immediately took to ballet and was dancing on pointe after only 3 months. She eventually moved in with her dance teacher Cynthia Bradley to make it easier for her to continue ballet. By the age of 15, she won first place in the Ballet category of the Los Angeles Music Center Spotlight Awards. However that same year a custody battle ensued between her mother and Cynthia Bradley. After her mother won the case, Misty came back to live with her family and continued to study ballet. By 2001 she became a member of ABT’s Corps de ballet. She was the only African American out of her 80 peers. Misty also struggled with body image because of the constant scrutiny of those around her. However, none of this stopped her and she eventually made her way to the top of the company. Along with her career as a dancer, Misty Copeland has also found time to work with the singer Prince, write 5 books, and dance in the movie the Nutcracker and the Four Realms. She has continued to be a role model for a new generation of dancers and proves that with hard work and determination, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.