No other ballet dancer has crossed over into mainstream popular culture like Misty Copeland.
That was her dancing at the recent American Music Awards, accompanying Taylor Swift. That’s also her in a new fashion ad, kicking her leg in metallic stilettos. She’s producing and starring in a new silent film, and a Hollywood biopic is in the works.
Now Copeland, who gained fame as the first black female principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre, is the latest celebrity to teach an online MasterClass.
In the course, she speaks about the crucial need for diversity at all levels of the overwhelmingly white classical dance world. She also recalls important mentors, especially the late Prince, who she says taught her to embrace her uniqueness rather than worry about blending in.
