Misty Copeland's Return After Her Break as Dancer & Producer | Black America

♪ [Theme Music] ♪ ♪ [Theme Music] ♪ >>> Carol: Hello, and thanks so much for joining us. I’m Carol Jenkins. The program is Black America. Misty Copeland broke barriers and made history when she became the first African American female principal dancer with the American Ballet Theater. Now she is co-founder of Greatness Wins, an ahletic wear line, has her own Barbie Doll, is the author of eight books, recipient of the prestigious 2023 Jacob‘s Pillow Dance Award, and she joins me now to discuss all of this and so much more. You will not believe it. Thank you so much, Misty, for being with us. >>> Misty: I’m so happy to be back. >>> Carol: I know, and you are sitting, I don’t know whether the shot shows it or not, we always have you with us [Misty laughs] in our set. You know, this fabulous picture. >>> Misty: Oh, I love it. That was the first principle role that I, that I really took on So, it’s an awesome memory. >>> Carol: I know. Well, we are -- and also the first time we interviewed you, we got nominated for an Emmy. You know, we were with you in your studio and all of the kids came, all of the staff. We have great pictures -- >>> Misty: That was so exciting. >>> Carol: -- of that. Thank you so much for, you know, for that. What, and you were talking then about what you wanted to impart to young girls. >>> Misty: Mm-hmm. >>> Carol: And one of the shocking things that was a total surprise for me is when I looked and said, saw that you had had a baby. [Misty laughs] I was like, when did she do that? >>> Misty: [laughs] Right. >>> Carol: It’s like -- >>> Misty: Yeah. The pandemic was a great time for me to get a lot done that I didn’t have time otherwise to do. >>> Carol: You were very productive, I must say, [Misty laughs] during the pandemic. Well, Jackson is here. >>> Misty: Yes. >>> Carol: And he’s what, 13 months old? >>> Misty: Jackson is 13 months. And it’s the best job -- I dunno if you call it a job. It’s the, it’s the highlight of my life. And, and it’s just amazing to people to step back and really focus on family, you know, at 40 years old. And we were talking earlier about, you know, how difficult it is for, for working women, to set aside the time to have a family, and especially being an athlete and being a performer. And I’m so grateful for the career that I’ve had. But it’s, it’s difficult, you know, to find that balance. And I’m just lucky to have him. >>> Carol: I know, I know. I told you the only better thing is being the grandmother of a baby -- [Misty laughs] you know? He’s adorable. >>> Misty: Thank you. >>> Carol: He’s adorable. And I know that you’ve been taking him to the dance studio. >>> Misty: Yes. [laughs] >>> Carol: [laughs] With you. >>> Misty: Yeah. He’s funny. He, it’s just another playroom to him. He doesn’t really understand what’s happening or you know what I do, but he thinks it’s hilarious when I do pirouettes or chaine turns, he, he thinks I’m like a dancing clown. [laughs] >>> Carol: [laughs] Right, right. Well, that is great. Well, congratulations -- >>> Misty: Thank you. >>> Carol: -- for that and, and so much else you started your own foundation. >>> Misty: Yes. >>> Carol: So, tell us about that. I love seeing the pictures of, of you with the kids and you’re actually doing all of the things that eight years ago when we first interviewed, you said you wanted to do, you’re doing them. >>> Misty: Yeah. You know, it’s, it’s really incredible to be able to step back and, you know, I, I feel like I’ve never looked at my career as a performer and on stage as, as the end all be all to, you know, my life. It’s always for me been a stepping stone, platform to express myself, to, you know, speak about social issues and things that are important to me and things that we need to do, especially within, in the art form, within ballet, to be more inclusive. And so, it’s been something that I’ve wanted to do and I feel like starting the Misty Copeland Foundation is really just a culmination of everything in, in my life. You know, thinking back to starting out at a Boys and Girls Club at 13 years old when I took my first ballet class, and now this, our, our first signature program is called Be Bold and it’s a free ballet class that’s offered at Boys and Girls Clubs. We’re gonna be focusing on communities that -- community centers in communities that really need and deserve an opportunity to be exposed to ballet. So -- >>> Carol: But I, what I love is that the curriculum includes health as well -- >>> Misty: Yes. >>> Carol: -- as dance. >>> Misty: Yes. >>> Carol: You know, so, which you’re really building, you know, adult human beings in these classes. >>> Misty: Exactly. Well, Be ballet explorations, ballet offers So, you know, to me it’s bigger than just bringing this ballet class to these communities. It’s, it’s, as you said, it’s about creating future leaders, it’s about creating, you know, people who will be productive citizens in the world and, and, and in their communities. And so, the framework was really structured. You know, we, we brought in someone who works with child development and, and focusing on social emotional learning so that, you know, it’s, it’s not, again, just about going in there and bringing this white European art form into these Black and Brown communities. >>> Carol: Right. >>> Misty: But, you know, we, we talk about ballet history and it’s really ingrained in this one hour class. So that, you know, they name the bars after different dancers throughout history that look like them. They have the Arthur Mitchell bar and the Alvin Ailey bar, and then they learn little facts about them as they go on through the class. So, that it’s something that they feel is, is theirs and that they can relate to. The live music element is also a really big part of it. It’s not just classical piano. We have drums and bass and Afrobeats, and -- >>> Carol: I love it. And I bet nobody tells them there that their bodies don’t match what ballet bodies should look like. >>> Misty: It’s, it’s not about that. I mean, if you have a body, you can dance and, and that’s the message that we want for them, you know, that it’s, it’s, it’s rigorous, but it’s fun and it’s joyful. >>> Carol: And I love that you’re doing it at the Boys and Girls Club. That’s where you got your chance to learn that you are a dancer. >>> Misty: It’s a full circle moment to be able to be back in, in these community centers that play such a big role in these children’s lives and in their communities. >>> Carol: Well, we have a lot of things to talk about. Because as we say, you have been very busy. [both laughing] Baby -- I saw your house in Architectural Digest. >>> Misty: Yes, yes. >>> Carol: This fabulous thing you created, you know? >>> Misty: Thank you. >>> Carol: Space for your family. >>> Misty: Yeah. Again, I’m, I’m so fortunate to be able to build a home and, and a family, you know, in ways that I didn’t have growing up. And, and to, to have an incredible husband, and to build this home together and, and fill it with art and love and, you know, it was amazing to be able to just show people a glimpse and to, to my life. Because I, I’m a very private person and don’t often show those intimate details of my life. But it was nice to be able to, I think as, as young, a young Black couple to show what’s possible. >>> Carol: Right. And, and, and, and it’s a lot. He’s a, he’s an attorney. >>> Misty: Yes. >>> Carol: And also, in the, in the wear line or had been. And you know, and you say that he has for a very long time, you know, been a, your, your chief supporter? >>> Misty: Supporter. Yeah. I, it, you know, I think that I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have an incredible sup-- incredible support system, period. But he’s been, you know, we’ve been together since I was 21 years old. And -- >>> Carol: That’s a long time. >>> Misty: It’s a, it’s a long time. And he’s my best friend. And, and he, you know, allows me to do all the things that I, you know, not allows me, but he’s there supporting me. And, and, and I wouldn’t be able to do all of these things if I didn’t have someone who was standing by my side and cheering me on. You know, I do a lot of things, so it’s amazing to have that type of support. >>> Carol: And I, and I know you are a private person, and the reason we’re talking about this is that it, it is so useful for others who are creatives to understand that it is possible to have a life. >>> Misty: It is possible. >>> Carol: As well as your craft. >>> Misty: It is. It is. And it, and, and again, I’m fortunate to have the support that I do. You know, and he -- there’s so many little things. I mean, I thinking back to when he proposed to me and he, he really wanted it to not be a distraction during, you know, the biggest season of, of the year for American Ballet Theater at Lincoln Center. And so, he waited until, you know, the season was over and the stress of the season and everything. But those are, those are the things that are always in the back of his mind is, you know, how can I not get in the way but support? [laughs] >>> Carol: [laughs] Right, right. And he’s very cute and he -- you know, you have a cute husband, and a cute baby. This is terrible. [Misty laughs] I’m saying, saying these things. But it is just wonderful. And, and all of that [laughs] is terrific. I cannot tell you how happy I am. My, one of my granddaughters, you know, was -- as I, I told you at SAB in this -- >>> Misty: Yes. >>> Carol: Really strict dance curriculum, pre-pandemic, of course. You know, and I went over to the ice machine in the cafe and I saw these kids loading up on ice and I thought, oh, that’s a lot of ice for a drink.[Misty laughs] And, and of course it was for their feet, you know, that were -- >>> Misty: Yes. Yes. >>> Carol: You know, suffering. So -- >>> Misty: A lot of maintenance. >>> Carol: I know, it’s a hard, it’s hard on the body. >>> Misty: Yes. It’s hard on the body. And that’s something that, you know, I’ve learned kind of the hard way. The importance of, of, you know, recouping and, and rest and that it’s equally as important as the training. You know, I’ve dealt with my fair share of injuries and I definitely don’t have the same body that I did at 20 years old, you know, joining the company. But it’s about finding other ways to hone your craft and, and your artistry. >>> Carol: So, so one of the ways is your new film opening up at Tribeca as we, as we speak. It’s called -- >>> Misty: "Flower." >>> Carol: Flower. And let -- before you talk about it and how you came to not only be in it, but produce it, let’s take a look at the clip. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >>> Carol: Just, just lovely. >>> Misty: Thank you. >>> Carol: Flower. So how did you come to this? >>> Misty: Yeah. So, I started a production company called Life and Motion Productions about six years ago with my best friend, Leyla Fayyaz, who we met 23 years ago dancing in American Ballet Theater. And she transitioned into writing and producing on television. But it’s really been a goal of ours to show the importance, number one, of this art form and the impact that it can have on so many people. And also, just the power of dance in communicating and expressing oneself. You know, you think back to old Hollywood and, and we’ve kind of lost that sense of the importance of having dance on screen as we did in so many old Hollywood films that’s not really a part of our culture, especially in America, and kind of normalizing that experience for Americans. And it’s what better way to, to access this art form than through a film or on television? So, this idea in particular, came about with a dear friend of mine, Nelson George. >>> Carol: Oh yes, of course. >>> Misty: Yes. So, we came up with the concept for “Flower.” He had been pushing me for years to act on, on, you know, on screen. And, and I said, you know, that’s not something that I, I feel a connection to in, in acting through using my voice, but acting through using my body. Yes. So, he is like, well, let’s find a way to do that. So, we had talked about the idea of a silent film. And then it evolved into, you know, I was like, I don’t want it to just be dance on film. I want to be saying something, something that’s important and something that, this generation can connect to. So, over the course of a couple of years, it evolved into focusing on the community of Oakland, California. I’m from California. My husband’s from northern, I’m from southern, but he grew up in Oakland. And I’ve just fallen in love with the community there. The incredible youth culture, the activism history. And so, we are calling this an art activism short. >>> Carol: Huh. >>> Misty: And so, I’m starring in it. >>> Carol: Yes. Of, of course. [Misty laughs] And very well, of course as everything you tackle. [Misty laughs] Beautiful. >>> Misty: Thank you. >>> Carol: It’s beautiful. >>> Misty: But you know, it’s really focusing on what the community’s going through right now. The housing crisis. Gentrification. Homelessness. And my character is, is a young woman who’s struggling to find herself and connect to her community. Her mother has dementia. Their, you know, the medical bills are stacking up and it’s kind of paralleling what gentrification is, this loss of history and loss of, of community, with dementia, and loss of memory. And, you know, along the way we’re telling this story through movement and, and seeing the community and, you know, it’s, it’s uplifting, you know, in, in the -- It’s, it’s about hope and community and that, you know, we’re not in this alone. That there’s so many people out there to connect with and, and rely on. >>> Carol: And your inspiration for it? >>> Misty: My inspiration [chuckles] for it -- There’s so many people and things that are inspiration for it, but I think that sense of, you know, community, especially during the pandemic, which is when this was filmed and, and shot, that we were all kind of looking for that again, you know, connecting to people and, and having hope. >>> Carol: And, and you’ve written eight books. >>> Misty: Yes. >>> Carol: Which is also hard to believe, you know? But, but I think, and in those books, documenting -- the last one, especially, I’m not even sure if it’s the last one -- when you talk about, you know, someone who was in the fifties, you know, dancing and what she went through and was very, was a, a great mentor to you. >>> Misty: Yes, yes. Raven Wilkinson. Yeah, I wrote two books during the pandemic, I think. And “The Wind at My Back” was -- I say this about every book, but I think it’s my most proud, [laughs] proud book. because, you know, I think that, you know, even with this, with this film, with “Flower,” you know, the importance of these intergenerational relationships. I think especially for young people to see the importance of having guidance and having a mentor and what it could do to enrich your life, both people’s lives, but Raven, was such an inspiration for me, you know, to be able to see a Black woman who existed, you know, decades and decades before me and experienced extreme racism within the ballet world, and that so much has not changed. And to, to meet her and have her a part of my life for as long as it -- I don’t know, maybe 10 years, completely changed the way that I looked at my future and what my power was by being on stage. And it kind of changed the trajectory of my career, that it’s not just about me happening to be a Black woman on the stage, but that I have a responsibility. I have a responsibility to tell her story, to tell the stories of so many Black and Brown dancers who have come before me, and to do everything I can to use my platform to move the narrative and move the needle, so that it’s a more inclusive, you know, space for the next generation of young dancers who want to be a part of this. >>> Carol: I can remember waiting at the stage door for Raven to come out. I think she was there to see you. >>> Misty: Yes. Yeah. >>> Carol: You know, and we were all like screaming, [Misty laughs] screaming, you know? I did get some pictures. I have to look for those. But it was, you know, the fact that she could enjoy you doing what you did was just wonderful. I felt so great for her. But now, talk to us about -- I was watching last night the, some videos of you and Derek Jeter, which I think is like the match made in heaven -- other than your own match, [Misty laughs] you know, I mean, a professional match made in heaven. Two, you know, people of color who’ve now started this athletic wear company. >>> Misty: Yes. >>> Carol: Tell us about “Greatness Wins.” >>> Misty: “Greatness Wins,” you know, it’s, I’ve had, an awesome experience of being a part of Under Armour for as long as I was and having the opportunity to create my own line within Under Armour. So, I’ve, I’ve, to be able to take that experience and start something from the ground up, you know, I think that it’s, it’s, it’s history, you know, to see two athletes or Wayne Gretzky is also a part of it. Three athletes. Derek Jeter, myself and Wayne Gretzky, come together as, as professionals who have experience and want to create the, the best gear for people who are serious about working out. And we, and Greatness Wins came about. And so, I’m heading the women’s line. And it’s really exciting to, to be not just the face of a brand but a founder in it. And I think it’s, important for young people to, especially young people of color, to see that that’s possible. >>> Carol: Right. And you have, as a partner the Untuckit guy. Everybody’s -- >>> Misty: Chris Riccobono. >>> Carol: Everybody knows him. Right? [laughs] >>> Misty: Yes. >>> Carol: Because I mean he, I mean, he clearly has a knack for genius because, you know, who could, who would’ve thought that an industry could be built on a shirt that was -- >>> Misty: Right, right. >>> Carol: Different. >>> Misty: Yes. Yes. I mean, he definitely has a lot of great ideas and he’s not afraid to go after, you know, what he thinks will be great. And so, he’s the one who brought us all together. And it’s just really exciting to be a part of something from the ground up. And the women’s line will be launching hopefully in the fall. So, look out for it. >>> Carol: All right, we’re looking out. [Misty laughs] I already notified my grandchildren, you know, they’re waiting. So, they are waiting. Now, speaking of awards, Jacob’s Pillow, tell us a little bit about that. That’s a big deal of being honored for dance. >>> Misty: Yes. It’s, it’s such an honor, especially, you know, for Jacob’s Pillow that has such a long history of dance and being, being like a vessel to be able to create dance in that community. But it means so much to me to be, to be acknowledged and to be celebrated by a community that I’ve been a part of since I was 13 years old, and to, for people to see and respect the work that I’ve been doing for as long as I have. It, it, it means everything, you know, to, to, to be acknowledged by the ballet community. >>> Carol: Yeah. And, and in the awards category, I saw you were just awarded a doctor-- honorary doctorate from NYU. >>> Misty: Yes, NYU. [both laughing] It’s surreal. It’s, it’s really surreal. But it, it means so much to, to have them recognize an artist and a dancer, and specifically a ballet dancer. And to show that that is such a, a vital part of our education, that the arts are so important in creating full human beings, that it’s not just an extracurricular activity, it’s not icing on the cake. It is the meat, it is the entree, and it is so important for, for people to understand that it’s, it’s not just art, it’s, it’s art education. >>> Carol: So actually, your life and your career, as you well know, it turned into a movement. [both laughing] You know, it’s an activist movement. Are you hopeful? Do you see changes all around that make you hopeful about things? Or how much more work do we have to do? >>> Misty: There’s a lot of work to be done. But, you know, something that I’ve learned from my mentor, Raven Wilkinson, is, you know, never to lose hope. There’s, you know, what are we standing on if you don’t have hope to make things better? And so, I’m extremely hopeful for ballet and, and for the future of, of this art form. You know, it’s something that I’ve worked for 23 years now as a professional, to really bring, bring this conversation to the forefront, you know, the lack of diversity, within, in the ballet world. And I would say that in the last two or three years, I have seen a lot of evolution in terms of the, the conversations that we’re having in a real way. Behind the scenes, not just for show, not just a DEI project, you know, to check that box that, that we’re doing it. But, but I feel like the, there was a, an awakening for the ballet community that we have not been doing, doing the work that is necessary, and how much richer this art form can be if everyone’s given an equal opportunity to be a part of it. >>> Carol: Yeah, it’s breath-- breathtaking in terms of the genres that you have engaged in, you know, that started with, with dance. So, you know, Tribeca is a big deal. >>> Misty: Yeah. Yeah. >>> Carol: The fact that it’s showing there, and this is another side of your, all of the work that you do. Tell us what that means, so, you know, to be like a big moviemaker. >>> Misty: [laughs] It’s unbelievable. But you know, I think that in the end, like everything that I’m doing is to bring more exposure to this art form and to show the power of it. And that it enriches people’s lives. That it’s, it’s a part of every community, if you really think about it. I mean, babies come out of the womb singing and dancing. [laughs] You know, they’re using their voices and they’re using their bodies. And for some reason, over time, we slowly get away from that and we feel like it’s not something that’s important that we need to be doing, that we can just sit behind a desk and we are not our best selves if you’re not engaging every part of your brain and body. And so, it’s amazing to be able to have a platform like Tribeca, to be able to have this production company, to be able to express everything that I’ve been saying on the stage through, you know, another, another platform. >>> Carol: Right. Right. So, the last time we talked and, you know, those years ago, you were talking about a message for Black girls. What do, what do you say to those Black and Brown girls now? What’s your message? >>> Misty: To me, it’s what we were just talking about. It’s, you know, to continue to have hope, to continue to have belief in yourself, to love yourself and to not be afraid to accept help and guidance. Having a support team, having mentors, having, you know, whether they’re your peers, whether they’re your family, or other adults, teachers who can guide you in a positive way. I think it’s so valuable and important to have that in your life. >>> Carol: My thanks to Misty Copeland, principal dancer at American Ballet Theater, author, co-founder of Greatness Wins, Be Bold, and now you can see her starring in “Flower” at the Tribeca Film Festival premiering June 8th and during the month of June, and on July 1st at Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City, and those tickets are free. So get them right away. That’s it for us at this time. Thank you so much for being with us. I’m Carol Jenkins. The program is Black America. We’ll see you the next time. ♪ [Theme Music] ♪