Misty Copeland

I think most people think of ballerinas as kind of either as a fairytale, far-away thing that's really not attainable, something they can't grasp, or they think of them as European or Russian and kind of their nose up in the air. So, it's cool for me to, like, sit with them and for them to really see themselves as me.

Don't hold on to the barre like, 'I might die.' It's just ballet.

I think I'm pretty laid back. I like cooking, being at home, and going to concerts. And I love to shop!

I'm definitely influenced by the music. We dance to music, and you have to listen to it and phrase your dancing and movement in a certain way to compliment the music. We have to work hand in hand, the dancer and the music.

'The Company' was interesting. I didn't love it, although it might be compelling to someone who isn't a dancer. There wasn't a lot of dialogue, and you were just kind of observing the creative process of choreography and in class.

The classical ballet world is so exclusive and small, and a lot of people don't know about it.

I think that the ideal physique and look of a ballerina is always changing with different eras. And it's continuing to change.

It's weird for minorities even just to buy tickets to the ballet. We feel like it's not a part of our lives and we're not a part of that world.

The ballet world I don't think is an art form that is quick to change or to adjust or evolve.

I think I get almost every piece of clothing that I buy altered and taken in just to fit me exactly the way it should.

When I was dancing, I felt in control and happy. I'm a Virgo, so I really like to be in control.

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.

I never thought of myself as special or particularly good at anything. But once I started ballet, suddenly I had a new identity: prodigy.

It's going to take a while before we see a real shift in the students and the dancers that are going into professional companies because it takes so many years of training, but I do think that there's a new crop of dancers, of minority dancers that are entering into the ballet world.

I wake up every morning, and I go to ballet class no matter what's going on the night before. That's my priority, and that's what makes me feel sane and not removed from the realities of my world.

Ballet was this thing that just felt so innate in me, like I was meant to be doing this.

Before dance came into my life, I don't really remember having any major goals or dreams of wanting to be anything.

If I'm put in a situation where I am not really sure what's going to happen, it can be overwhelming. I get a bit anxious.

I think all dancers are control freaks a bit. We just want to be in control of ourselves and our bodies. That's just what the ballet structure, I think, kind of puts inside of you.

Once you become a professional, to get through a ballet like 'Swan Lake' - four acts as the lead, changing character - the perseverance is incredible. It takes a lot to make it through and keep the same energy throughout the entire performance.