Empowering Diversity in Ballet: Misty Copeland’s Impact

Misty Copeland considers the “generational trauma” that Black ballet artists experience.

TFD – Dive into the remarkable journey of Misty Copeland, a visionary ballet dancer who reshaped the landscape of diversity and representation in the arts.

Misty Copeland is accustomed to being the focus of attention.

When Copeland joined American Ballet Theatre, one of the most prominent and well-known dance companies in the world, as a main dancer in 2015, she shot to the top of the dance industry as the first African American woman.

“I was the sole Black woman in the company for the first ten years of my professional career—a company of nearly one hundred dancers—with American Ballet Theatre,” Copeland said to CNN’s Chris Wallace in a recent episode of Max’s “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?”

For Copeland, who has frequently spent her dancing career as one of the few Black dancers in the room or on stage, being the first is a challenging but familiar position.

“I’ve had challenges as a Black woman who stands out, particularly in the corps de ballet where everyone is expected to be uniform and wear pink tights that symbolize the color of your skin. And things weren’t always like that.

Additionally, Copeland had incidents of discrimination that easily could have discouraged her from dancing altogether.

Copeland told Wallace, “There were times when I was not cast in certain roles because I would stand out too much and kind of ruin the aesthetic.” This was particularly true when the performance was being videotaped.

However, Copeland would create history in the fall of 2014—nearly a year before she would be promoted to principle dancer—when she became the first Black ballerina to play the title role of “Odette/Odile” in American Ballet Theatre’s production of “Swan Lake.”

Dancers in one of the most well-known classical ballets in the world are vying for this coveted part. However, Copeland added, her casting caused conflicting feelings because she is a Black dancer.

She remarked, “I consider the kind of generational trauma that comes with that role for Black dancers.” “For countless years and generations, we have been taught that white people should be the swans and that Black or brown women cannot play that role.”

“If my artistic excellence isn’t up to someone’s standards, that maybe there won’t be another Black woman at American Ballet Theatre who is given this opportunity,” expressed concern expressed by Copeland. And I was thinking about that before I gave my first performance.

However, the performance was outstanding. Copeland’s portrayal of Odette was reviewed by the New York Times, which commended the “moments of courage and grandeur” that she brought to Swan Lake.

“It’s about bringing yourself to these things, to these roles and making them your own. And I feel that that’s what I’ve done with a lot of the roles I’ve taken on, but especially Swan Lake,” Copeland told Wallace.

Copeland claimed that despite her quick ascent in the dance world, she continued to field inquiries about her skin tone and even about lightening it on stage. She attributes this difficulty to Black and brown dancers throughout history who have pursued careers in classical ballet.

They cause your skin to become lighter. And as you might imagine, I had meaningful discussions with our hair and cosmetics department as well as the artistic staff of ABT over the course of years and years of doing this.

According to Copeland, ballet dancers frequently apply makeup to achieve a matte complexion.

“Well, why does that have to mean white?” I said. And the discussion has changed to somewhat redefine what that means in that regard.

Copeland has frequently been referred to as the “Jackie Robinson of ballet,” along with another hero who broke down barriers and was a pioneer in his industry. She acknowledged that the comparison puts “a lot of pressure” on her, but she also feels that her role in ballet is bigger than her own or any one person’s.

“To me, it’s not just about being the first; there are so many Black women who have made amazing contributions to the ballet world and community but haven’t received recognition,” she said to Wallace.

Copeland has changed the image of who can be a ballerina by using her position to highlight Black women and the diversity of dance since her career-defining performance in Swan Lake.

It shouldn’t be necessary to have a specific body type. You shouldn’t be restricted to a set age range or skin tone. Anyone should be able to accomplish this, in my opinion, if they have the necessary perseverance, support, and determination.

In order to provide a “more diverse representation of artists within the traditional and new media landscapes,” Copeland created “Life in Motion Productions” in 2015.

Additionally, Copeland executive produced the short film “Don’t Touch My Hair!” and produced and starred in the film “Flower” during the previous two years.

She also teaches ballet through the Misty Copeland Foundation to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. She was first introduced to ballet at the Club, so this program is a full circle occasion.

She remarked, “I hope that this hour represents the best and brightest part of their day.” “Children’s lives involve a lot of things, but these particular children’s lives are particularly important.”

Nevertheless, Copeland claims that her purpose and objective are the same throughout all of her pursuits, from producing to philanthropy: “It’s to bring ballet to more people.” Its purpose is to let people enjoy dancing in a lovely and uplifting style and to simply experience the delight of it all.

The full exchange between Wallace and Copeland is currently streaming on Max.