In 2012, Misty Copeland, the first African American
principal ballerina in the American Ballet Theater, endured grueling pain when
she suffered six stress fractures in her tibia. She had injured her leg months
earlier, but the condition worsened because she maintained an arduous schedule
of rehearsals and performances to prepare for a career highlight—a starring
role in Igor Stravinsky’s The Firebird at the Metropolitan Opera House.
She has had injuries throughout her career, but this
was one of the most serious ones. She had no idea what her future held. She
also became the first African American female principal dancer with the
prestigious American Ballet Theatre (ABT) in 2015. She faced her fair share of
adversity on her rise to the top. She started dancing at age 13. As a black
woman, she was told that she'd never make it to a major company and that her
muscular frame didn't fit the mold.
Dancers endure such injuries in their career. The
hours, years and months of intense training are unimaginable as they plié and
pirouette across the stage with ease. Dancers train like athletes. When ABT is
in season, it's all day. ABT has a very rigorous schedule, some may say it is
more than any major company in the world.
Learning about this we decided to write today about
these brilliant and hardworking professional dancers. We believe that dancers
should have endorsement deals. Dancers should be paid. Dancers should have
insurance. They should not have to end their careers early since they commit to
this path at a very young age.
They should be given the same accolades and
acknowledgment and respect as professional athletes. They should be in
conversation with star athletes like Serena Williams and Megan Rapione. They deserve
it. Similar to what professional athletes experience, there's so much pressure
for dancers to always be at the top of their game. Misty Copeland being considered
in GOAT conversations is a big step in the right direction. She has totally
earned it.
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