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Misty Copeland was born!
Misty Copeland was born on September 10, 1982 in Kansas City, Missouri to Doug Copeland and Sylvia DelaCerna. She is of German descent, African American descent, and Italian. She has two brothers, Doulas Jr., and Christopher, a sister, Erica, a half-brother, Cameron, and Lindsay, a half-sister. -
Moving to San Pedro, California with mom and siblings
At the age of 2, she, her mom, and her siblings boarded a Greyhound bus for San Pedro, California which is where she was raised and where she started her ballet. -
Boys and Girls club
Misty and her siblings went to a club(boys and girls) when she was 13. And she met a ballet teacher named Cindy Bradley who encouraged her to take formal ballet. Misty took that class on a basketball court which is when Bradley instantly knew that something new was unfolding. -
En Pointe
After 3 months of classes, she was en pointe. -
NutCracker
After only a few months of classes, she took the lead role of Clara in the Nutcracker. -
Los Angeles Music Center Spotlight Awards
She won in the field of best ballet dancer. -
Headlines
Copeland took headlines -
ABT
Misty had applied for many ballet companies but kept getting declined till she was chosen of six girls to be apart of American Ballet Theaters Studio Company -
Misty became first female soloist
In 2007 she became the company’s first African American female soloist in two decades (Anne Benna Sims and Nora Kimball had preceded her). -
Misty and Prince
Copeland starred in 2009 in a music video for Prince's album "Crimson and Clover." The next year she also performed live on his tour with him. -
Injury
Misty Copeland faced a career ending injury: 6 stress fractures in her tailbone. -
Black Girls Rock!
Misty received the Young, Gifted & Black honor at the Black Girls Rock! Awards. -
On ABT committe
She also worked on the ABT's Initiative Plié advisory committee, a network providing instruction and mentoring to dance instructors in racially segregated neighborhoods around the nation as well as in Boys & Girls Clubs. -
Barack Obama
In 2014, President Obama appointed Misty to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition. -
Honorary:University of Hartford
Misty received an honorary doctorate from the University of Hartford for her achievements to classical ballet and to the growth of the art form. -
Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina
Copeland published the memoir Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina and had endorsements with companies. -
FIREBIRD!
Misty published a picture book titled Firebird in collaboration with award-winning illustrator and author Christopher Myers -
On the Town
Misty had her Broadway debut in the role of Ivy Smith in Leonard Bernstein’s musical On the Town. -
Making History
In June 2015 the ABT chose Copeland as its first African American female principal dancer in the company’s 75-year history.
