Once I became a professional, maybe 19 or 20, I really started to try to figure out who I was, as a woman and as an individual.
Misty CopelandSome people even think that I'm still just not right for it [ballet]. And I think it's shocking because they hear those words from critics saying I'm too bulky, I'm too busty. And then they meet me in person and they're like, you look like a ballerina. And I think it's just something maybe that I will never escape from, those people who are narrow-minded. But my mission, my voice, my story, my message, is not for them. And I think it's more important to think of the people that I am influencing and helping to see a broader picture of what beauty is.
Misty CopelandWhen people meet me in person, they're usually surprised at how petite I am because there's just [an] idea that because I'm black I just look a certain way.
Misty Copeland