The Past That Created A Future

 

(Misty Copeland in an early role, aged 14)

The story of Misty Copeland should start at her birthplace and the life she had before becoming a principal dancer. In the website Biography, about the life of Mrs. Copeland, it states that she was born on September 10, 1982, in Kansas City, Missouri. Being one of the 4th of her 6 siblings, she experiences the life of moving around a lot from her mother Sylvia Delacerna and the different men that were in her mother’s life. To finally her family settled in San Pedro, California but unfortunately Her mother’s relationship with her new husband was emotionally and physically abusive towards her, her mother, and siblings. In this time Misty wanted a place to feel safe and free, so she would find herself in halls of the school and the world of performance, creating a passion from the Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci. She would also perform dance routines at home with Mariah Carey’s songs playing in the background. To one day, one of her teachers who was a part of the ballet classes at the Boys and Girls Club said that Misty should attend. And Mrs. Copeland’s journey to become a ballet dancer started, with the teacher named Cynthia “Cindy” Bradley. That saw potentially in Misty with the movements and dance en pointe from a short time of ballet training. Even though Misty did not have a great life at home she was given the chance to move in with her teacher Bradley at the age of 13. Given the change to perform at a charity event with actress Angela Bassett and getting the lead role of Debbie Allen in the production called, “The Chocolate Nutcracker.” Adding on to the Biography website on Misty Copeland, we go in the deep passion that she has for ballet along with, “After taking classes at Lauridsen Ballet Centre, she did another summer intensive in 1999, this time at the renowned American Ballet Theatre. She joined ABT’s studio company in September 2000, and become part of its corps de ballet the following year.” Knowing that there are deeper details in the life of Mrs. Copeland, it’s time to dive deeper into her ballet career. 

Photo:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/dance/11675707/Misty-Copeland-ballerina-interview.html