At thirteen years old, Misty Copeland walked into her first ballet class. Most professional dancers start before they can spell their own names. She started as a teenager, living with her mother and five siblings in a motel room in California. Her ability was obvious early. Teachers saw strength, musicality, and control. What followed was not an easy rise. Ballet had narrow ideas about bodies, backgrounds, and who belonged onstage. Copeland faced racism, class barriers, and constant scrutiny for

At 13 years old, Misty Copeland didn’t know what a plié was—she was living in a cramped motel room with her five siblings and single mother in San Pedro, California, eating instant noodles and doing homework on her lap. Ballet wasn’t just unlikely; it was unheard of. But when a teacher saw her imitate moves from a music video with startling grace, she urged Misty to take a free ballet class at the Boys & Girls Club. That class changed everything. Misty didn’t have tights or ballet shoes, so her

Misty Copeland made history yesterday when she became American Ballet Theatre's first black principal ballerina. In 2014, she spoke with us about her journey from poverty, to center stage. Learn more: to.pbs.org/1HvRHVc | PBS NewsHour