Celebrity Life

Under the unforgiving, highly competitive and elitist spotlight of classical ballet, Misty Copeland shines. Copeland, who in 2015 became the first African-American promoted to principal dancer at the prestigious American Ballet Theatre (ABT), moves with youthful exuberance, stunning artistry and sheer veracity.

She’s come a long way from her days of attending ballet classes on the basketball court of a local youth community centre. There, at the late age of 13, she learned her pliés and elevés while living in a motel room, struggling for a space to sleep on the floor with her five other siblings. But as most awe-inspiring stories go, this rough journey propelled her to successes she never thought was even remotely possible.

Over her 25-year career, Copeland has taken on a range of both classical and contemporary roles – among her most notable ones was in 2012, when she performed the title role in The Firebird, choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky, and the lead role of Odette/Odile in ABT’s Swan Lake in 2014, making history as the first black woman to assume the role. In 2015, she was promoted to principal dancer at ABT, and in the same year named by Time magazine as one of the world’s 100 most influential people. Copeland’s professional success provided her with a platform from which she continues to rally passionately behind racial and gender equality, and inspires aspiring young ballerinas, especially those of colour and from less privileged circumstances.

I talk to Copeland about her humble beginnings and how in success she’s found a higher purpose. We also discuss her latest partnership with watch brand Breitling, and how alongside two other inspiring women, she feels even more empowered to pursue the causes close to her heart.

The post Misty Copeland on Finding a Higher Purpose in Ballet appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Dancer Roberto Bolle fronts our May cover, so we decided to take a gambol ourselves and compile a list of 10 dancers and choreographers from around the globe that we think you should know more about.

The post Top 10 Dancers and Choreographers in the World appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

By Michael Scivoli Photos By Nisian Hughes They say our best work stems from adversity. If you’re American Ballet Theatre’s (ABT) Principal Dancer Misty Copeland, there’s no truer statement. Growing up in San Pedro, California, a young Copeland had dreams of one day gracing a stage as a ballerina, but having spent much of her […]

The post Misty Copeland: Principal Dancer appeared first on VUE magazine.