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Ballet found me. I was discovered by a teacher in middle school. I always danced, my whole life. I never had any training, never was exposed to seeing dance, but I always had something inside of me.

Misty Copeland

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Misty Copeland
Age: 42
Born: 1982
Born: September 10
Actor
Author
Ballet Dancer
Dancer
Kansas City
Missouri
Misty Danielle Copeland
Seeing
Ballet
Found
Exposed
School
Discovered
Whole
Dance
Something
Training
Always
Inside
Never
Teacher
Life
Middle
Danced

More quotes by Misty Copeland

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My goal has always been to be a principal dancer with ABT.
Misty Copeland
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That it's possible to do positive things and I think that's how we're going to set an example to be respected as women in the world.
Misty Copeland
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I'm a classical ballet dancer, and at the end of the day I want to be with American Ballet Theater, performing classical ballets.
Misty Copeland
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I believe I am yet to dance my favorite role, but I am pretty open to adapting to different characters. I would love to be Odette in Swan Lake one day. I think that would be the ultimate role.
Misty Copeland
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I shouldn't even be wearing a tutu. I don't have the right legs, my muscles are too big.
Misty Copeland
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I will never reach perfection.
Misty Copeland
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My first ballet class was on a basketball court. I'm in my gym clothes and my socks trying to do this thing called ballet.
Misty Copeland
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A lot of people think, Oh I'm going to eat whatever I want and then go to the gym. And I've definitely been one of those people and it just doesn't give me the results that I need to have the physique of a ballerina.
Misty Copeland
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My career came together very quickly. I only trained for four years before I became a professional, so I didn't have a lot of time to sit back and be inspired before I took my first ballet class.
Misty Copeland
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I think I'm pretty laid back. I like cooking, being at home, and going to concerts. And I love to shop!
Misty Copeland
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Once I became a professional, maybe 19 or 20, I really started to try to figure out who I was, as a woman and as an individual.
Misty Copeland
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I don't believe in dieting, I don't believe in having certain moments in your life where you're healthy and then moments when you're like, I'm going to eat whatever I want. It's just finding what works for your body and always eating healthy.
Misty Copeland
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I've gotten nothing but warmth from the Black community and positive feedback.
Misty Copeland
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When people meet me in person, they're usually surprised at how petite I am because there's just [an] idea that because I'm black I just look a certain way.
Misty Copeland
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My body is very different from most of the dancers I dance with. My hair is different than most I dance with. But I didn't let that stop me. Black girls rock and can be ballerinas.
Misty Copeland
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The fact that I was African American was never addressed, and that allowed me to just be a student, like anyone else. I was not aware of how rare it was to be an African American, how rare it was to have four years of training under my belt, and how, even though I could imitate people and fake it, unprepared I was to become a professional.
Misty Copeland
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I think I always felt a connection to music and to movement. Growing up, I was surrounded by R&B and Hip-Hop, and the closest thing I could find to dance was gymnastics which I watched on TV.
Misty Copeland
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I just try to approach every opportunity on stage, as if it's my first time and my last time.
Misty Copeland
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Different mentors throughout my life have supported and guided me to remember that I do have the strength, courage and talent to do whatever I want to do.
Misty Copeland
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I absolutely love what I do, and I want to dance for as long as I can and feel good about what I am putting out there on the stage.
Misty Copeland