Looking for the best and inspirational Misty Copeland quotes?
Misty Copeland is a dancer who never let her amputation from the right leg stop her from following her dreams of becoming a professional ballet dancer.
She was born with congenital amputation and grew up in San Pedro, California, with two working professionals. Copeland attended the Ballona Creek Elementary School in Los Angeles, where she was bullied for being different of what society perceived as usual.
She has made her name as an inspirational dancer and as a role model for young girls looking up to her who are dreaming big but don’t believe they can make their dream come true.
As someone who feels like they live in two worlds, Copeland is determined to show that one can be strong without compromising their femininity or sense of self.
Check out her most inspiring quotes to find motivation and inspiration.
47 Inspirational Misty Copeland Quotes
1. “Without my mentors, there is no Misty.” ― Misty Copeland
2. “I just try to approach every opportunity on stage as if it’s my first time and my last time.” ― Misty Copeland
3. “The ballet world I don’t think, is an art form that it quick to change or to adjust or evolve.” ― Misty Copeland
4. “Going on stage and transcending the audience and becoming this otherworldly thing makes you a dancer. It’s not so black and white.” ― Misty Copeland
5. “Decide what you want. Declare it to the world. See yourself winning. And remember that if you are persistent as well as patient, you can get whatever you seek.” ― Misty Copeland
6. “I knew that I just didn’t have it in me to give up, even if I sometimes felt like a fool for continuing to believe.” ― Misty Copeland
7. “Knowing that it has never been done before makes me want to fight even harder.” ― Misty Copeland
8. “I just try to approach every opportunity on stage, as if it’s my first time and my last time.” ― Misty Copeland
9. “My body is very different from most of the dancers I dance with. My hair is different than most I dance with. But I didn’t let that stop me. Black girls rock and can be ballerinas.” ― Misty Copeland
10. “Before dance came into my life, I don’t remember having any major goals or dreams of wanting to be anything.” ― Misty Copeland
11. “I never thought I could make a career out of something that I enjoyed doing, something I was passionate about, something that gave me a voice.” ― Misty Copeland
12. “Speak up for yourself and what you believe in. You can still be an elegant woman and be strong and powerful.” ― Misty Copeland
13. “It’s important for me to set an example of what a healthy image is, what a ballerina can be, that she doesn’t have to be a white woman that’s rail thin. That she can look like the world.” ― Misty Copeland
14. “All you can do is be your best self. I’m representing more than just me. I think every person should think that way.” ― Misty Copeland
15. “Start unknown, finish unforgettable.” ― Misty Copeland
16. “I can do anything when I am in a tutu.” ― Misty Copeland
17. “He said don’t let them take you over. Walk into the room knowing you are the best. Shoulders back, chin up. Their attitudes will totally change.” ― Misty Copeland
18. “My first ballet class was on a basketball court. I’m in my gym clothes and my socks trying to do this thing called ballet. I didn’t know anything about it.” ― Misty Copeland
19. “You can do anything you want, even if you are being told negative things.stay strong and find motivation”
20. “I don’t eat a ton of pasta or bread. But I eat dessert almost every night, and I drink. You need a bit of balance, and I’ve found mine.” ― Misty Copeland
21. “There are muscles that we have in our feet that most human beings don’t even know that we have. The strength that we have is so detailed.” ― Misty Copeland
22. “Every time I step onto the stage, it’s not only provide to the audience that I’m capable but to myself.” ― Misty Copeland
23. “I may not be there yet, but I am closer than I was yesterday.” ― Misty Copeland
24. “Success is not easy and I think everyone should know that hard work and perseverance and being open to giving back are so much more powerful than stepping all over people to get to the top.” ― Misty Copeland
25. “If I’m put in a situation where I’m not really sure what’s going to happen, it can be overwhelming. I get a bit anxious.” ― Misty Copeland
26. “Belonging shouldn’t mean you are like everyone else.” ― Misty Copeland
27. “More often than we realize, people see in us what we don’t see in ourselves.” ― Misty Copeland
28. “Put on a performance that hid all the strings, leaving only stardust for the audience to see.” ― Misty Copeland
29. “I think, as a child, there weren’t dreams. I can’t recall as a child having some ultimate dream and thinking that it was possible.” ― Misty Copeland
30. “To be empathetic to everyone around you, I think, is such a powerful thing to hold.” ― Misty Copeland
31. “When I was a little girl, I was incredibly shy. My hope was to blend in, to fit in, to not be noticed in any significant way. I was deeply insecure and unsure of myself.” ― Misty Copeland
32. “I had no idea what I was walking into, and the years and years of hard work it would take. I felt like an outsider and like it was never going to happen. But even if I would have known, I think I still would have done it. Dancers are perfectionists, and that’s what keeps us going and growing.” ― Misty Copeland
33. “You have to be the one promoting yourself. If you don’t think that you’re worthy, you’re never going to make it.” ― Misty Copeland
34. “When people meet me in person, they’re usually surprised at how petite I am because there’s this idea that because I’m black, I just look a certain way.” ― Misty Copeland
35. “It’s time to write our own story.” ― Misty Copeland
36. “But I think the more you eat healthy clean foods the more you create them.” ― Misty Copeland
37. “The path to your success is not as fixed and inflexible as you think.” ― Misty Copeland
38. “There are hundreds of stories I’ve heard from black women from my generation, generations before me, and the next, that have never been given an opportunity to fulfill their dreams.” ― Misty Copeland
39. “My favorite role of all? Whatever I’m working on in the moment.” ― Misty Copeland
40. “I don’t feel like my life is that of a superstar! Every day I wake up, I take the train, I go to my ballet class. My everyday life is pretty normal.” ― Misty Copeland
41. “I think that training is the key, definitely, and I devoted my life to it.” ― Misty Copeland
42. “Be strong, be fearless, be beautiful. And believe that anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you.” ― Misty Copeland
43. “Even if I weren’t learning new roles and getting the opportunity to be coached by incredible people, I still think I would be so excited to have an opportunity to continue to push myself and grow, as an artist.” ― Misty Copeland
44. “I think anything that affects me in my personal life is going to help me be a better artist on stage.” ― Misty Copeland
45. “Every time I dance, I’m trying to prove myself to myself.” ― Misty Copeland
46. “I want to bring awareness to the lack of diversity in ballet, and feel like that’s a large part of my purpose.” ― Misty Copeland
47. “Finding ballet was like finding this missing piece of myself.” ― Misty Copeland
