She Is...MISTY COPELAND
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My GFC family members Saint & Steve-O told me about Misty Copeland... by looking at this picture I could see why they would take an interest in her lol...Misty is regarded as the first African American female soloist for the American Ballet Theatre... however; that can be contested as Nora Kimball danced with ABT in the mid 80's... at which time Misty was just a toddler... But Misty is the first in 2 decades to achieve the honor...
It took a lot of sacrifice, love & dedication for Misty to be where she is now... Misty started studying ballet at age 13 after being introduced to the dance form at her local Boys & Girls club... the instructor of the program noticed her took her under her wing. Misty signed a managerial & life story contract with her Boys & Girls ballet teacher Cynthia Bradley. She stayed with the Bradley family during the week & went back home to her mother & siblings on the weekends... this arrangement lasted for nearly 3 years... During which time Misty performed in shows, won awards & scholarships... Misty studied independently for her sophomore year in H.S. At the end of her summer San Francisco ballet experience that year, her biological mother informed her she would be moving back in with her family.
Misty believed she wouldn't be able to dance anymore so she ran away from home & filed for emancipation. Her mother counteracted by filing a restraining order against the Bradley family... talk about drama! Her mother believed the Bradley's were brain washing Misty... after all the entire emancipation idea was brought up by them & they even secured the lawyer who represented her in the case. After her mother informed her that she would not have to give up dancing Misty stated she didn't really understand the term emancipation & that she no longer wished to continue the process.
She moved back home & started to attend school full time & danced in the afternoons. The Bradley's still had authority & rights to 20 percent of Misty's earnings until she turned 18. In 1999 Misty auditioned for several ballet companies... each one offered her a spot in their summer programs... Misty chose the ABT... she performed in their summer intensive program in 1999 & 2000. At the end of the summer 2000 program, ABT offered Misty to stay... they wanted her to skip her senior year... they would pay for her housing, performances & academic arrangements... Misty joined the company but returned to California for her senior year... In 2001 she became a member of it's second company Corp de ballet... she worked her way up the ranks from there & the rest is history!
Lets just say I'm slightly jealous... when asked as a child what I wanted to be when I grew up I always replied a ballerina... I even walked around the entire house on my tippy toes... who knows, if I didn't change my mind by age 7 Misty might have had some serious competition! LOL
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