Careers

An inside look at the historic career of 'unlikely ballerina' Misty Copeland, who went from 'pretty much homeless' to dance superstar

Natalie Walters

2016-02-12T16:20:00Z

misty copeland under armour — Misty Copeland became the first African-American principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre last year. Screenshot / Youtube

Professional ballerina Misty Copeland, 33, made history last year when she became the first African American woman to be named principal dancer with the legendary American Ballet Theatre.

This week she's making headlines with a recent Harper's Bazaar photo shoot she did that recreated images from the famous paintings and sculptures of French artist Edgar Degas.

Copeland told the magazine she had difficulty freezing in these certain pre-determined poses because, like all dancers, she's a bit of a control freak. "It was interesting to be on a shoot and to not have the freedom to just create like I normally do with my body," she told the magazine.

Her frame may be petite, but her stage presence is huge and has ignited opportunities that extend far beyond international magazines. She served as a judge on "So You think You Can Dance"; wrote a memoir and a children's book; was part of the Under Armour "I Will What I Want" campaign; was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME last year; and was the subject of the documentary "A Ballerina's Tale," which debuted at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival.

The dancer describes herself as an "unlikely ballerina" (it's the subtitle of her 2014 memoir), and it's true: whatever your ballet stereotypes, it's likely Copeland doesn't fit them. Here's how she went from "pretty much homeless" to dance superstar.

Rachel Sugar contributed to a previous version of this article.

An inside look at the historic career of 'unlikely ballerina' Misty Copeland, who went from 'pretty much homeless' to dance superstar

Copeland spent her childhood "dancing to Mariah Carey videos, rewatching a movie about the gymnast Nadia Comaneci, and being very prepared for school, where she was a hall monitor and the class treasurer," wrote Rivka Galchen in a 2014 New Yorker profile.

But she didn't take any formal gymnastics or dance classes until she was 13 — insanely late for a female ballet dancer. These kids below are auditioning for the super prestigious School of American Ballet. They're between 6 and 10.

At 13, Copeland tried out for her middle-school drill team with a piece she choreographed to George Michael's 'I Want Your Sex.' That night, she got a call from the coach: she was going to be captain of the 60-person squad. It was her first audition.

She was a natural. Immediately, Bradley had a vision of "this little girl becoming amazing." Soon, she was going to classes five days a week.

It takes most dancers about three years to get "en pointe" — dancing in toe shoes. It took Copeland three months.

Money was tight, and eventually, her family moved into two rooms in the Sunset Inn in Gardena — too far for her to keep commuting to Bradley's studio, so she started living at Bradley's house during the week. That went on for three years.

Copeland thrived, winning major competitions after only a few years of study. "I just loved it," she told the LA Times. In the summer of 1998, she was accepted to the San Francisco Ballet's summer intensive on full scholarship.

After that summer, her mom wanted her to move home, but Copeland and Bradley thought that would hurt her career. An ugly battle ensued. She filed for emancipation, but she was too young. "It was a nightmare," Copeland told Galchen.

She made the agonizing decision to wait, but a year later, she moved to New York. At 18, she became a member of the ABT's Corps de ballet and began performing at Lincoln Center.

An early injury caused a doctor to worry about her bone strength, and he induced a delayed puberty. "It was a shock," she told Elle. "I had no idea what to do with my body. It wasn't responding like it used to. It was like starting over."

But Copeland continued to rise through the ranks, and at 24, she was promoted to soloist with the company — the third black, female soloist in ABT history.

Her next goal was clear: to become the first African American principal dancer in the history of the ABT.

In 2014, the already-famous Copeland became a household name when she starred in a viral ad for the athletic apparel brand Under Armour. In any given year, 6.5 million people see live ballet, but this one ad has more than 8 million views on YouTube.

She was also named to the prestigious "100 most influential people" list by TIME. Nadia Comaneci, a gymnast and five-time Olympic gold medalist, wrote about Copeland for the magazine saying her story of perseverance makes her a "model for all young girls."

In November 2015, Glamour honored her with a Women of the Year award. The magazine sums up why she was chosen with this quote from actress Kerry Washington: "She's blazed her own path — and proven that you don't have to bend to society's expectations because you look a certain way."

Copeland is also an author. She released two books in 2014 — a memoir titled "Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina" and a children's book titled "Firebird," which she read at the 2015 White House Easter Egg Roll.

At 33, Copeland has a more-than-impressive résumé, which includes ballerina, book author, television writer, Broadway performer, and film subject. But it didn't come easy — she worked hard to make it all happen. As her famous Under Armour commercial says, "I will what I want."