Misty Copeland is a beautiful ballerina, who made history as the first Black female principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre — the first in the company’s 75-year history.
But the dancer told ESSENCE recently while she was in New York City doing a press run for Naked Juice’s Drink Good Do Good #FillYourCartForGood campaign that making history comes with a lot of pressure.
“I try to hold on to the weight of that word, you know, being the first,” she said. “It’s about having a dialogue and a conversation that’s going to make change…and go back and reach into that community that I came from and give those dancers of color, or children of color, an opportunity to be part of an art form like classical ballet.”
Copeland is making yet another first with her role in film, The Nutcracker and The Four Realms, as The Ballerina, which is her feature film debut. While Copeland’s character has no lines, it’s her dancing that captivates.
Check out the full video above, and check out Copeland in The Nutcracker out in theaters November 2.