Ballerina Misty Copeland on ‘rebuilding this broken girl’

Ballerina Misty Copeland started her dance training at the late age of 13. Nonetheless, she was soon recognized as a prodigy and rose quickly to opportunity and success. In 2015, she became the first African-American woman promoted to principal ballerina by American Ballet Theatre.

Copeland’s childhood was marked by fear and insecurity. So her rise toward the confident, renowned dancer she became — in an art form dominated white people — is unique in many ways.

Misty Copeland writes about her life and lessons learned in her books “Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina” and “Ballerina Body: Dancing and Eating Your Way to a Leaner, Stronger, and More Graceful You.” She spoke with University of Washington professor Valerie Curtis-Newton at UW’s Meany Hall on March 24 as part of the UW Graduate School lecture series “Equity & Difference: Privilege.”