Pro ballerina Misty Copeland, 31, recently sat down with Vogue Italia where she discussed the discrimination against black dancers with the “wrong body type.”
Check out a few highlights from her interview with “Vogue” as well as her gorgeous photo spread below. – ruthie hawkins/@ruubabie
During your training, did anyone ever explain to you how rare it was for a black ballerina to gain entrance into any of the major ballet companies?
I think that in a lot of ways, I’m happy that race was not something that was discussed (during my training). It wasn’t an issue that was presented to me at that time.
Of course, I was aware that I am black. My mother was very clear about telling all of my siblings who we were. Even though I was of mixed raced, my mother was clear about it…telling me I was black and that I was going to be seen as black.So that is just how I knew of myself. But it wasn’t something that I thought about when I started dancing. I didn’t see myself any different than all the other girls. I think that helped me in the beginning.
At what point did you realize how few black ballerinas there were in the world of classical ballet?
By the time I got to ABT, I was not at all prepared to deal with what I walked into. I just had no history of the ballet and black women in it. I had no idea that I was going to walk into ABT and be the only black woman there, and for the next eleven years still be the only black woman there. And so I just wasn’t prepared. I think over time, maturing and growing, and understanding how the ballet culture and the history of it works, it’s become easier on a daily basis. But it is hard. Just hearing things every so often, like the fact that I don’t exactly look like a “white swan.” It was very difficult.
Historically, the argument has been made that black women don’t have the right body type for ballet. Is this a valid assessment, or an excuse to justify the exclusion?
It’s a hard thing to separate and try to figure out. Is it about them being black? Or is it really about the body type only? Because I’ve see dancers who are not black get accepted into major companies, who do not have ideal bodies. I think it is something that is kind of used as an excuse.There are so many excuses that are used. Too muscular. Too athletic. Just not the right proportion. But I think that the ideal physique and look of a ballerina is always changing with different eras. And it’s continuing to change. I think more dancers are just more healthy and athletic in general, because of the way that choreography and the different kind of dancing is making its way into ballet. So your muscles are going to change and develop. I don’t think they can, or will be able to use that excuse for much longer.
Continue for photos…
