Misty Copeland: A Career In Professional Dance

Misty Copeland

Misty Copeland was the first African American to become a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre. She had a rough childhood, but her story shows how having patience and being a hardworking person pays off in the end. Even though her youth wasn’t great, she pursued her dream of having a career in professional dance and continues to make headlines wherever she goes. Misty Copeland was born to Sylvia DelaCerna and Doug Copeland in Kansas City, Missouri on September 10, 1982. Her siblings are Erica, Christopher, and Douglas Jr. Copeland. She also has half siblings Lindsay Brown and Cameron DelaCerna. Misty’s mother has been married more times than Misty can even remember. The only husband she can even remember is Harold, Sylvia’s third husband. Throughout her entire childhood they were constantly packing, moving and scrambling from place to place all over California, but even with that going on, her memories of Harold are nothing but happy. She describes

She would watch every meet that was on television and even recorded it so she could pause and rewind to learn the routines. She was only interested in the floor routines, so she decided to try out for the middle school drill squad. She made captain of all sixty girls who made the squad. Her coach, Elizabeth, Cantine, was amazed by her ability and suggested she try ballet at the local Boys and Girls Club. Her instructor there, Cindy Bradley, was also amazed. She could put Misty into any position and she could do it with ease. After dancing at the Boys and Girls Club, Sylvia divorced and remarried again. The Copelands moved to a house that was thirteen miles away from the studio. Her mother told her that she “had to quit dance” because she couldn’t keep coming home late at night. When Cindy found out, she proposed the idea that Misty come live with her on weekdays. Sylvia agreed and the community helped pay for her leotards and ballet