I AM MISTY COPELAND

MISTY BECAME THE FIRST BLACK FEMALE PRINCIPAL DANCER IN THE AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE’S 75-YEAR HISTORY.

HERE, SUPERSTAR SHARES WITH OUR STEPHEN KAMIFUJI ABOUT HER PASSION AND STRUGGLES, MOTHERHOOD, AND MISSION TO HELP EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATION OF PRIMA BALLERINAS OF COLOR.

Photographer: MARC BAPTISTE @marcbaptistephoto

Stylist: MINDY SAAD @mindysaadstylist

Makeup: VICTOR HENAO @victorhenao / Bernstein & Andriulli using Tom Ford @bareps

Hair: JEFF FRANCIS @jefffrancishair / Ray Brown Pro

Digitech: PAUL STORY @thepaulstory

First Stylist Assistant: SELAH ROMERO @selahromero

Second Stylist Assistant: AMANDA SANTOS @amandarose.xo

Photo Assistant: SKYE BAPTISTE

Art Direction: STEPHEN KAMIFUJI @genlux

L ocation: THE WATERMARK AT BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, watermarkcommunities.com

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88 GENLUX SPRING/SUMMER 2023 shares Foundation, she’s giving young girls who look like her the opportunity to follow in her footsteps.

Misty Copeland’s remarkable journey to the top of the American Ballet Theatre is nothing short of miraculous. The youngest of four, raised in a single-parent household while for a time calling a motel room home, Misty’s dedication to dance propelled her to the pinnacle of the ballet world. During our GENLUX Word Interview, Misty shares about her life, and how, through her Misty Copeland Foundation, she’s giving young girls who look like her the opportunity to follow in her footsteps.

Your GPS? I’m in my dressing room in my apartment on the upper west side and in the middle of a big closet cleanout. You’re wearing? High-waisted jeans by Mother and a Cotton Citizen cropped sweatshirt. Morning fare? I don’t always have breakfast food in the morning, so I had collard greens I made last night.

Skincare secret? I use CeraVe, Paula’s Choice toner, and Clinique’s light facial moisturizer. Favorite makeup? I’ve never been a big makeup person because I’ve gotten to dress up and look like a princess for 25 years of my career, going on stage and events and photowshoots, so when I’m not doing those things, I’m pretty bare-faced.

Your beginnings? One of the things I’m most grateful to my mother for is having a lot of children, so it gave me a lot of playmates. There was a lot of playing around and goofing off because we had each other. We lived at a motel in Gardena for about six months when I started ballet lessons at the Boys and Girls Club, so I used the railing outside our room as a ballet bar. I’ve always been able to make the best of any situation, and music and dance were the things that always rescued and saved me from the negative things I was going through.

Childhood bullying? I never considered it bullying, but I’m sure it was. I was a loner and very insecure, and I didn’t want to get close to people because of my situation at home. There was always something going on that I felt ashamed of, so I kept people at bay, which made me more vulnerable and open for people to pick on me. They teased me for being really small and skinny, for having big feet, long legs, and a tiny little head—the perfect attributes for being a ballerina. They picked on me when I auditioned for the drill team, and I made captain even though I had no training or dance experience. The co-captain of the team picked on me because I didn’t come from that group of kids and was different.

Compassion chip? Oh, yes, absolutely. I’ve always felt empathy for others because I saw and went through so much as a young person. We didn’t have much, and there was a lot of verbal and physical abuse in our household. I saw my mom go through so much in her personal life. I’ve had empathy for others and what they’re going through, knowing things aren’t always as they appear on the surface.

Early influences? Mariah Carey, who’s now a good friend of mine. It’s crazy to think of it. I had the chance to meet her a handful of times, but internally I wasn’t ready or afraid of being disappointed because she was such a symbol of acceptance. As a young person who didn’t feel understood, seen, or heard, Mariah was an influential person who looked like me. It gave me such power. I feared she wouldn’t live up to my expectations, but she did and more. She came into my life at a very important time. I was newly appointed as a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theater and struggled under pressure and responsibility. My manager reached out to her people, knowing that if anyone could understand and help me, she could. She called my cell phone, and we talked for an hour. It was a beautiful conversation, and we’ve stayed in touch ever since. I’ve spent time with her and her kids. She’s an incredible woman.

Prince performance? I danced during Prince’s Welcome to America tour in 2010. At one point, I danced on top of a piano that was so slippery, but it was so much fun! To have that perspective of looking down at Prince singing at my feet. It’s hard to explain how incredible it was. When I first started performing with him, he let me improv— I would make up a dance to whatever he was singing. He had a very clear idea that I would dance to The Beautiful Ones, and we rehearsed for hours.

Mock proposal? When Prince got down on his knee to propose during the performance, all of that was his idea and choreographed, and we did that every show.

Met Ball? It was an interesting experience. I was in the middle of the Met season and launched my Barbie doll on the same day as the Met Gala. I’m not a big party person, nor do I need to see celebrities, so it was a bit overwhelming. I appreciated being in the presence of incredible designers and for what they do. It’s not my scene; I’m more lowkey. The Weekend performed, which was pretty epic.

Character change? Something that I’m more aware or conscious of since having my son is being able to set limits and boundaries.

It’s something I’ve always struggled with. Not always being able to say no, disappointing others, or putting myself first. There’s no way around it now. My son comes first, and my husband and I come second. So I have to set my boundaries.

Embarrassing moment? I’ve had a lot of falls on the stage—so maybe that. Oh, no, I know, the very first time Prince came to see me perform. What made him so amazing was he wasn’t like I need to see you perform at the Metropolitan Opera House. I was doing these performances with this small school called Updown Dance Academy in Harlem. Every Nutcracker season, I would perform and let them use my name to bring in more of an audience. We were doing this performance at the Apollo, and they didn’t have much money to cover the entire stage with the Marley floor. So the sides were exposed wood which is very slippery in pointe shoes. I was playing the Sugar Plum Fairy and running to my partner, and I slipped and fell flat on my face while Prince watched from one of the box seats on the side of the stage. He never ever once mentioned it.

Guilty pleasure? Prosecco. I love a prosecco-based cocktail with elderflower or a Kir Royale. I love pizza, French fries, and Cheese-Its.

Giving back? When I started working with my manager, Gilda, it’s always been our goal to give back to the people, places, schools, and organizations— especially those of color—that helped me get here. (cont. p91)

CHRISTIAN SIRIANO

OFF-THE-SHOULDER

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It’s always been important to me to use my voice and platform for different organizations in the arts and education that help make a person whole. It shouldn’t be an extracurricular activity—it should be a part of our educational system. Your foundation? The Boys and Girls Club has been a big part of my life and inspired me to start the Misty Copeland Foundation. Our signature program is the Be Bold program, which offers free ballet classes that reach the communities that need this opportunity. We wanted to dig deeper into why and how the arts could help expand their sympathy, empathy, and teamwork. What it’s like to have structure and discipline to perform on stage. We’ve created our framework with the flexibility and breathable to expand and change over time.

Foundation challenges? It’s not just about taking this historically White European art form and dropping it into the Bronx on kids that feel this has nothing to do with me and my community. Give them examples of dancers who look like them and that they can aspire to be like. To expose them to live music and instruments and what it takes to commit to something. So it’s much deeper than a ballet class. That work will be the proudest thing to come out of my career.

Playlist faves? I love Lucky Day and Sabrina Claudio, and I like a lot of old soul music like Anita Baker, Sade, and Raphael Saadiq.

Football fan? I’m not a football fan. There’s something about football that I feel I’m traumatized by. That was what my mom was so passionate about. [Misty’s mom had been cheerleader for the Kansas City Chiefs]. My household was very loud and chaotic. Whenever football was on, there was screaming at the TV. It was too much for me to handle. I would retreat and go into the corner and create and choreograph.

Next performance? Hopefully, the next time the world sees me dance will be in my first independently produced film we made during the pandemic. It’s a special dance film I’m starring in with no dialogue, showing the storytelling through dance. In the very last dance scene, I’m actually pregnant in it, which makes it very special. I’m still thinking about what my next stage appearance will be.

Next chapter? For the last 25 years of my life and career, my focus has been on me, my training, and performing, so to be able to step into these different roles as founder and president of my foundation, co-founder of my production company, and one of the founders of Greatness Wins, the new athletic wear line with Derek Jeter, Wayne Gretzky, and Chris Riccobono, is a dream come true. Being a woman who stands at the same level as Derek and Wayne sets a great example for young girls and women. I’m excited for the world to see it!

I also have my own line with Under Armor, so I help create athletic wear from a woman’s perspective.

Athlete or artist? First, I’m an artist, but there’s no getting around the fact that with ballet, you have to be a good actor and an elite athlete. G

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MISTY SPINNING AT THE WATERMARK AT BROOKLYN HEIGHTS IN MICHAEL KORS COLLECTION PALAZZO PANT, $1095, MICHAEL KORS COLLECTION BODYSUIT, $490; MICHAEL KORS COLLECTION BELT, $390, MICHAELKORS.COM

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