Misty Copland

                                        Marcella Edwards

                                            Ballerina 101

                                    Communication Applications

                                            September 28, 2015

                                        Ballerina 101                                        Edwards 1

One and two and three and plie tondue ron de jambe a la seconde. As you enter the theater those are the words you hear leave the stage as the prima matre de ballet teaches class. In ballet every dancer on that stage serves a purpose whether it is to be the main performer or an extra. It does not matter how good of a dancer you are, you will always question whether or not you are good enough. Misty Copland is a famous American Ballet dancer and is the first African American female soloist for the company. Throughout her career Misty has had many downfalls she has had her moments were she wanted nothing more than to quit.

Misty Copland has always had her moments where she thought that she wanted to give up because she wasn’t good enough, which is something that all dancers experience. “ I had moments doubting myself, and wanting to quit, because I didn’t know that there would be a future for an African- American woman to make it to this level.” (Misty Copland) Throughout a dancers career you go through so much pressure  that you always doubt yourself. You never think you did good enough, it never fails that you leave the show think you could have done better. “At the same time, it made [her] so hungry to push through to carry the next generation.”(Misty Copland)  As a soloist or prima ballerina you always have so much pressure on yourself to become a better dancer and role model for the generations to follow.  The better you become the more people you have looking up at you, every move you make is vital to your career.