Brah Copeland Research Paper

Simone Biles was born on March 14, 1997 in Ohio. Mrs.Biles aka Simone Biles mother had a drug addiction and could not care for Simone and her sister. Ron and Nellie (simone’s grandparents) took care of SImone Biles and her sister. Soon after that they were adopted my Ron and Nellie. Ron and Nellie are actually the parents of Simone Biles mothers. Biles found her paction for gymnastics

The KKK chased her out and threatened her. Everyone tried to make her blend in so that she didn’t make the dance look bad. When people think of an African American dancer they have this stereotypical picture in their head of what they think all African Americans look like. “You lack the right feet, Achilles tendon, turnout, torso length, and bust for ballet” (“Misty Copeland Seeks to Inspire”). That was what she heard from a dance critique before they met Copeland. In ballet you dance together and you typically are supposed to look the same and dance the same. Being the only colored person makes you the one that sticks out and that isn’t the same and people back then didn’t think that was ok. “And it’s hard to be the one that stands out when you know in a ballet company you’re trying to create unison” (“Misty Copeland”). That was a direct quote that she said about herself.

The first experience of watching a ballet, for me or any little girl, can be fascinating and exhilarating. Wondering how a dancer can be so steady on her toes as she spins in circles and leaps through the air. Watching a ballet, there is a feeling of wanting to be graceful, as well as the warm sensation felt by a little girl as she slips into dream land. My mom had taken me to my first ballet when I was 11 years old. When we returned home home, she signed me up for classes at the local dance center. The expectations to become a prima ballerina would involve much hard work and concentration. I knew when I started it would take years of steady practice and commitment. Learning the history of ballet and the famous

At fifteen, Misty Copeland won the Los Angeles Music Center Spotlight Award. Winning this big award brought her a lot of recognition. She began to audition for summer intensives, New York City Ballet being one of the many. New York City ballet rejected Copeland for “not having the right body type” and her teacher read the letter and bluntly said that copeland was really rejected for the color of her skin.

Have you ever thought what it would be like to be dancing up on your toes with the American Ballet theatre (ABT)? That’s just what happened, Misty Copeland currently a principal dancer at ABT had a dream to dance there ever since she started to dance and she didn't think that she could do it,but with training, hard work, and passion you can achieve anything. For the month of September I decided to read “Life in Motion” written by Misty Copeland. This book was very inspiring in many ways. I learned so much that I didn’t know, not only about Misty Copeland but also about ballet. I decided to read this book because, Misty Copeland is one of my idols, she is also a big inspiration and I really wanted to learn more about her. Overall this book was amazing. I would recommend it to  not only ballet dancers but to also people who love non-fiction because it is full of so many details and a lot of imagery that it makes a person feel like they are in her shoes dancing through her life. I would recommend this book because many people can relate to Misty Copeland in many ways, your mind wanders while reading, and because the plot was very unbelievable and surprising.

The early life of Misty Copeland were lots of living problems. She was born September 10,1982. She lived in a poor motel with 6 kids! Her mom had many boyfriends so they had to move constantly but they finally settled in San Pedro. She went to the Boys and Girls club after school every day. Cindy offered Misty to live with her so Misty lived with her. Misty became a better dancer from living with Cindy but her mom wanted her back so Misty was back living with her mom. Misty also started dance. When Misty was told that she had the perfect ballerina body she tried dance. She started dance at the age of 13. She started at the Boys and Girls club and eventually made her way to San Pedro Ballet. She

Debbie Allen was born to Vivian Ayers and Arthur Allen on January 16, 1950. At age three she started dancing and at age four she knew she wanted to be a professional dancer. Her parents divorced in 1957, and her mother was Debbie and her siblings were encouraged to be creative and independent. In 1960, Vivian Ayers took her children to Mexico. When they came back to Texas, Debbie auditioned for the Houston Ballet School but was denied because the color of her skin. A Russian teacher at the school saw Debbie perform and secretly enrolled her. When she was sixteen, she auditioned for the North Carolina School of the Arts but was rejected because her body was “unsuited” for ballet. While she was in high school she put her studies first and went

"I quit" (Copeland 34). Those were the first words out of Misty Copeland's mouth as she walked out of her first ballet class when she was only thirteen years old (Copeland 34). This quote illustrates just how hard Misty Copeland has had to work to achieve the greatness she has accomplished. If one would watch Misty Copeland today he/she may not believe this. The clean lines along with the stretched fingers would leave the viewer to think she has been doing this her whole life. Copeland, being black, has had to overcome many barriers the common ballerina would normally not have to deal with. With her being only thirty-four years old, she has worked many stressful hours to earn her spot in today's dance world. She was born on September 10, 1982 and grew up with six siblings (Biography.com). She moved often during her childhood due to her mother having multiple boyfriends and husbands. Although her family did not stay in one place long, the one constant thing in her life has always been dance. Dance, being her only outlet in her life, enabled her to focus extremely hard on her training. Every decision she made revolved around her dance career, even at the age of thirteen. Her unstable childhood and life events may lead the reader to question: what qualities did Misty Copeland obtain that enabled her to become a significant person in the dance

After his return from the war, she continued teaching and danced small roles in Shawn's productions. This is where her career as a dancer began (183).

Karen was a surprise to her parents, John and Joyce Reller, because she was born early on a military base. Her mom was visiting her dad in Oklahoma and during that trip Karen was born in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Since it was a trip, Karen was only there for a few days before she was brought to her hometown, Old Monroe.

She studied different types of dance and incorporated them into her own technique. “Called the matriarch of black dance her groundbreaking repertoire combine innovative interpretation of caribbean dances,traditional ballet, African rituals and African American rhythms to create the Dunham technique” (“Katherine Dunham Biography” 2). Dunham technique is continued to be taught at schools and companies all over the world. Her travels to other countries always inspired her choreography. “She is credited for bringing caribbean and African influences to a European-dominated world” (“Katherine Dunham Biography” 2). Dunham’s use of different world influences innovated dance and created more significant choreography. Dunham not only changed how she danced; she created an entirely new

Misty copeland was born on september ,10 ,1982 in Kansas city Missouri. Misty was the 4th child out of 6 children.copeland’s Mother Delacerna,was married multiple times and have many boyfriends. The family of 7 moved plenty of times under trouble conditions.The family finally settled down in San Pedro,California.Delacerna 4th husband was very violent. He physically and emotionally abused his wife,and stepchildren,using racial words and slurs.After Delacerna left the 4th husband, Delacerna and her 6 children moved into a motel.Copeland joined the boys and girls club ballet team.When Misty was only 13 she moved in with Bradly(her dance teacher),to be closer to the dance studio.Later on when misty was only 15 years old, Delacerna said that it

Misty May-Treanor was born into a family that helped her shape her life. Her full name is Misty Elizabeth May-Treanor; she was born in Los Angeles, California, on July 30, 1977. Therefore, her Zodiac symbol is Leo. Misty May-Treanor’s father is Robert May, also called Bob and Butch. In 1968, he was on the U.S. men’s national volleyball team. Barbara May, a ranked tennis player, was May-Treanor’s mother. She lost her battle with cancer in 2002. May-Treanor’s siblings include two brothers named Brack and Scott. Brack is a chef; he starred on the show Chopped on the Food Network. Her other brother is Scott. Misty tries to remember her family because they were significantly important to her. She has two angel

This also resulted in a move to San Pedro, where Sylvia began dating her soon to be fourth husband, Robert. While in San Pedro, Misty did many after school activities such as the drill team. The drill team was very important to Misty because this was the first time she really felt passionate about dance. With her passion, she later became team captain following in her older sister’s footsteps. Erica, her older sister, was a very big role model to Misty at the time because she always wanted to be just like her when she grew up popular, “…vivacious and outspoken”

Bessie Smith was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee on April 15, 1894, she was one of seven children, and her father died soon after her birth, leaving her mother to take care of her and her siblings. In 1906 her mother and two of her brothers passed away and Bessie and her other siblings were taken care of by their aunt. It was after this that Smith began