Being in ballet class, being on the stage, being surrounded by my peers at American Ballet Theater every day, keeps me so humble and grounded. Being in ballet class, I feel, is like this meditation for me every morning.
In the ballet studio, it was such an organized and disciplined environment, like I'd never had in my life. Seeing myself in the mirror, surrounded by the classical music, that's when I started to fall in love with dance.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the transformative power of dance and the disciplined environment of a ballet studio that inspired the speaker's love for the art form.
Misty Copeland expresses how the structured and disciplined atmosphere of a ballet studio was a new experience for her, contrasting it with her previous life. The conjunction of seeing herself in the mirror while immersed in classical music allowed her to discover her deep passion for dance, highlighting the significant impact of environment and self-reflection in the pursuit of artistic expression.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of arts education, one could use this quote to emphasize how structured environments can foster creativity.
More from Misty Copeland
All quotes →Perseverance has always just been something that was in me. And it was a tool that came in very handy as a ballerina.
It's all so surreal, and I'm living my dream. And you know, principal or not, I'm getting to dance all the roles that I've dreamed of doing.
Be strong, be fearless, be beautiful. And believe that anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you.
I say over and over again that I am just standing on the shoulders of so many who have set this path for me, and they may not be seen or recognized or have been given an opportunity to have a voice, but I'm here representing all of those dancers. Dance Theatre of Harlem Virginia Johnson, Tai Jimenez, Lauren Anderson.
It's hard to be the one that stands out when, you know, in a ballet company, you're trying to create unison and uniform when you're in a corps de ballet.
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