Misty Copeland Never Wanted to Stand Out. Then She Changed Ballet Forever

Legendary ballerina Misty Copeland pulls back the curtain on the most pivotal moments of her career. From performing on the Oscars stage alongside the cast of Sinners—and addressing Timothée Chalamet’s infamous comments—to the unique experience of collaborating with icons like Prince and Taylor Swift, Misty shares it all. Misty and Maria also dive into the reality of performing through injury: the physical toll, the mental resilience required to keep going, and what these challenges taught her about her body and its limits. Misty Copeland is the true embodiment of Pretty Tough. All that and more on this episode of Pretty Tough. Pretty Tough is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to every episode on your favorite podcast platform⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Maria on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Maria on X⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Pretty Tough on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Pretty Tough on Substack⁠ 00:00:00 – Intro: The Evolving Athlete 00:02:15 – Finding Her Voice: Overcoming "Little Mouse" 00:07:30 – Survival Mode to Artistic Passion 00:09:30 – The First Ballet Class: From Basketball Court to Prodigy 00:13:45 – The Studio as a Sanctuary 00:14:15 – Stage Presence vs. Public Speaking Nerves 00:19:30 – The Power of Consistency in Performance 00:22:00 – Dancing Through Pain: The 2012 Firebird Season 00:27:15 – A Career-Ending Injury and the Road to Recovery 00:29:45 – Redefining the Relationship to Pain 00:32:00 – Lifelong Learning: Evolving Technique Post-Principal 00:33:45 – Art vs. Sport: Why Ballet is Subjective 00:36:00 – Breaking the Curtain: The Role of Social Media 00:39:00 – The Farewell Performance: A Thank You to the Journey 00:42:30 – The Prince Connection: Lessons in Identity and Excellence 00:47:00 – Returning to the Stage: The Oscars and Sinners 00:51:30 – Collaborating with Taylor Swift 00:53:00 – Addressing the Timothée Chalamet Comments 00:56:45 – Future of Dance: Production and Storytelling 00:59:45 – Closing the Financial Gap in Arts Education 01:01:15 – The Misty Copeland Foundation’s Mission 01:03:30 – Parenting and Letting Go of Control 01:09:15 – Strategic Partnerships and Protecting the Brand 01:14:00 – Life After Ballet: Defining a New Identity 01:15:30 – Rapid Fire: Unlearning Pain and Defining Toughness Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices