The purpose of this project is to show that Misty Copeland is changing the way the ballet world defines the correct image and body shape of a ballerina. Copeland does not fit the stereotype of ballerina: she is 5’2, has really defined muscles, has bust, and is African American. She started ballet at the age of 13, late for a dancer, but her pure talent made her into a prodigy. Misty Copeland really set out to become a professional ballerina, regardless of her ethnicity and body shape, she pushed through the obstacles that were set in front of her because she did not have the correct body shape and was not white. She is part of the American Ballet Theater (ABT) and is renowned because she is one of their first African American soloist, and is
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This project will inform readers on how Copeland is breaking the rigid racial barriers in classical ballet. Race is a group of persons related by common heredity or descent. Certain features, characteristics, and labels are associated with race. For African Americans, like Copeland, those features, characteristics, and labels, are negatively applied for a ballerina. Copeland is a dancer of color, and in her early years of being a dancer, she experienced racism like no other minority in the ballet world had experienced. Pushing forward through the hard times has increased the diversification in ballet, and has motivated many other minorities, like young African American girls, to join classical ballet. Copeland is changing the uniformity that the ballet world has, and allowing for …show more content…
After coming back from an injury, Copeland had gained a couple of pounds, not being able to fit into the leotards that all the ballerinas shared. She had developing curves, and hips, and breasts. A sheer was even placed on top of the leotards to cover her breasts. The artistic staff in the American Ballet Theater told Copeland that she had to lose weight, weighing only 108lbs, because she did not look the way she did before. This caused Copeland to be ashamed of her body. She stopped taking care of her body for a while, since those words had traumatically affect her. She ended up realizing that there was no way she could lose her hips or breasts; she had to embrace her body. Her body was a necessity in order to dance, and she had to love both in order to become the mazing dancer she is
This project will inform readers on how Copeland is breaking the rigid racial barriers in classical ballet. Race is a group of persons related by common heredity or descent. Certain features, characteristics, and labels are associated with race. For African Americans, like Copeland, those features, characteristics, and labels, are negatively applied for a ballerina. Copeland is a dancer of color, and in her early years of being a dancer, she experienced racism like no other minority in the ballet world had experienced. Pushing forward through the hard times has increased the diversification in ballet, and has motivated many other minorities, like young African American girls, to join classical ballet. Copeland is changing the uniformity that the ballet world has, and allowing for …show more content…
After coming back from an injury, Copeland had gained a couple of pounds, not being able to fit into the leotards that all the ballerinas shared. She had developing curves, and hips, and breasts. A sheer was even placed on top of the leotards to cover her breasts. The artistic staff in the American Ballet Theater told Copeland that she had to lose weight, weighing only 108lbs, because she did not look the way she did before. This caused Copeland to be ashamed of her body. She stopped taking care of her body for a while, since those words had traumatically affect her. She ended up realizing that there was no way she could lose her hips or breasts; she had to embrace her body. Her body was a necessity in order to dance, and she had to love both in order to become the mazing dancer she is