MISTY COPELAND ANNOUNCES BALLET SCHOLARSHIP AIMED AT BLACK AMERICANS

In case you haven't heard. Ballet is very white. And Misty Copeland had to fight her way in and fight her way up the ballet ladder of success. Her skin was wrong, her hair was wrong, and one rejection letter she received  flat out told her that the black body was all wrong for ballet (video below).

I've heard it said more than once that Copeland stepped up her dancing game when she realized that she could be the one knocking a white door down for the black girls and boys behind her.

In 2015, Misty Copeland was the first African American promoted to principal dancer at American Ballet Theater in that theater's 75 year history. And now she's sending the elevator back down to collect some of the rest of us.

MISTY COPELAND -

"I am proud to help other African American dancers reach their dreams both abroadand at home. Ballet in the City presents the 2016 Misty Copeland Scholarship for African American dancers to continue their dance training and increase their opportunities."



Misty Copeland's hair, body, and skin color is different from the white girls with whom she dances. And she had to fight her way into ballet. The video below contains a reading of one of her rejection letters.

I'm so proud of her for making it.
I'm even prouder of her for talking about it.
I'm proudest of her giving back unapologetically to the black community 




I'm looking to see the documentary on her life if I can. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqZkfDEoQDI  But I fully plan on reading her biography this year. 





SCHOLARSHIP IS FOR GIRLS OR GUYS 13 to 18
SEE LINK AND SCROLL TO BOTTOM OF PAGE
http://www.balletinthecity.org/programs---events.html




THIS MAY BE A MORE DIRECT LINK TO SCHOLARSHIP INFO
http://www.balletinthecity.org/assets/the-2016-misty-copeland-scholarship-information-(2).pdf