Take home a used and signed pair of ballet shoes from Misty Copeland
Born in Kansas City, Missouri and raised in San Pedro, California, Misty Copeland began her ballet studies at the late age of thirteen. At fifteen, 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. Misty joined ABT's Studio Company in September 2000, joined American Ballet Theatre as a member of the corps de ballet in April 2001, and in August 2007 made history by becoming their second African American female Soloist and the first in two decades.
2014 was a big year for Copeland. President Obama appointed her to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition and in September she made history as the first black woman to perform the lead role of Odette/Odile in American Ballet Theatre's Swan Lake during the company’s first ever tour to Australia.
Misty has been featured in numerous publications and television programs, including CBS Sunday Morning, The Today Show, This Week with George Stephanopoulos, MSNBC's Melissa Harris Perry, Vogue, Essence, Ebony, and People Magazine. Her endorsements past and present include American Express, COACH, and Diet Dr. Pepper. In 2014, Under Armour launched Misty as one of the faces of their "I Will What I Want" campaign with a commercial that went viral, gaining more than 7.5 million views to date.
Misty is the author of the New York Times Bestselling memoir, Life in Motion, co-written with award-winning journalist and author Charisse Jones, published March 2014. She has a picture book titled Firebird in collaboration with award-winning illustrator and author Christopher Myers, published September 2014. She received an honorary doctorate from the University of Hartford in November 2014 for her contributions to classical ballet and helping to diversify the art form.
Misty’s goal is to become the first African American female principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre.