Misty Copeland

"You create your destiny. Hard work, dedication, sacrifice, and taking risks create amazing opportunities." - Misty Copeland
        Misty Copeland is one of the most inspiring dancers that many young ballerinas look up to, her ability to inspire, encourage, and talent is what many ballerinas can only hope to become like. Not to mention in all of this she is one of very few African American dancers. She broke down barriers people had been waiting for, and she defied social norms all for the love of dance, and it has taken her a long way.
         Something many look up to is Misty's perseverance, growing up she was underprivileged with divorced parents and a siblings that moved around a lot, this means she didn't get proper ballet training till way later in life. At the age of 13 her teacher at school signed her up for ballet classes at the boys and girls club, but before then she taught herself. Her ballet teacher saw her love for dance and actually had Misty move in with her family after awhile to further her training. Eventually she was seen by the director of the American Ballet Theater and took classes there on scholarship. Before she was actually accepted into the American Ballet Company, another company told her "she would never make it as a ballerina." This is not surprising they told her this because many ballerinas start in the ballet school before the age of ten. This is only one way Misty has defied the odds.
          She is now a principal at the American Ballet Theater, this is a huge deal for any dancer but especially her. She is the first ever African American Principal. She is a great example of how you don't have to look a certain way to be a ballerina, and it doesn't matter your background; if you work hard and are dedicated anything can happen. Her talent is beyond belief but her love for the art is what inspires me most, and how she never gives up. It makes me want to push harder to become better. She never let anything get in her way, so why should I?
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/misty-copeland-unlikely-ballerina-60-minutes/