Multicultural Presentation: Misty Copeland

Alysa Stewart8th hourOral Communication

Birth of Misty Copeland

-Born in Kansas City, Missouri and raised in San Pedro, California

-She was born September 10,1982

- Currently 35 years old

Early life & Family

-She is the 4th child of 6 siblings

-Misty Copeland’s mother is, Sylvia Delacerna

-Single parent home

-Mother was in and out of relationship and her 4th husband was abusive

-They moved even when they weren’t stable enough to do so

- Her mother and her siblings finally settled in San Pedro,California

Personal Life

-Misty Copeland married attorney Olu Evans on July 31, 2016 in Laguna Beach, California.

-They were together for 10 years before they got married

Beginning of her career-Copeland began taking classes with Bradley at the San Pedro Ballet School at the age of 13.

-When her training became more intensive, Misty got her mother’s permission and moved in with

Bradley to be closer to the studio.

-Bradley had realized that Misty was a prodigy, able to see and perform choreographed movement

immediately and dance en pointe after a very short period of ballet training.

Her career then began after that, she had started getting scholarships and offers:

-She was accepted with a full scholarship into the intensive summer program at the San Francisco Ballet.

-In 2000 Copeland won another full scholarship,to the ABT’s intensive summer program and she was

invited to join the ABT studio company, a selective program for young dancers still in training.

Achievements-At the age of 15, she won first place in the Music Center Spotlight Awards.

-She studied at the San Francisco Ballet School and American Ballet Theatre’s Summer

Intensive on full scholarship and was declared ABT’s National Coca-Cola Scholar in 2000.

-In June 2015, Misty was promoted to principal dancer, making her the first African

American woman to ever be promoted to the position in the company’s 75-year history.

-In 2014, President Obama appointed Misty to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports,

and Nutrition.

-In spring 2015 she was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, a rare

feat for someone from the dance world.

Awards/Acknowledgements

-In 2008, Misty was honored with the Leonore Annenberg Fellowship in the Arts, a two-year

fellowship awarded to young artists

-Shorty Award for Best in Dance

-Glamour Award for The Showstopper

Her Legacy

“I never thought I could make a career out of something I enjoyed doing–something I was

passionate about, something that gave me a voice, ” says Copeland, who is one of the first

African Americans to be a soloist with American Ballet Theatre.

Encouraging/Meaningful Quote

Reflection

I’ve been dancing since I was 5 years old. Seeing Misty Copeland, an african american dancer, get

to do what she loves as a career is inspirational. They’re aren’t many african american ballerinas,

so seeing her succeed and be this amazing gives me a role model. Misty didn’t have the best life at

home and she got a late start on her training but, she didn’t let that stop her or get in her way of

getting what she wanted.

Sources

http://mistycopeland.com/

https://www.biography.com/people/misty-copeland

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Misty-Copeland

http://time.com/collection-post/3822916/misty-copeland/

Conclusion

To conclude this presentation I hope you learned why I believe Misty Copeland is a inspirational

individual and makes a difference in the world!