FROM THE GRIO — You don’t immediately think of Misty Copeland’s meteoric rise in the classical ballet world when appreciating the photographs from her 2013 calendar.

Yes, you see the powerful body in graceful repose that she has earned through intensive training as a dancer. But, most of all the images from her first calendar reveal the many sides of an accomplished, young African-American woman. Copeland has used this project to offer another angle of insight into her passion for creative expression.

“I’d say there’s vulnerability in it,” she said of her essence as captured in the pictures. In addition, “There’s strength. There’s confidence. There’s beauty,” she told theGrio in a recent phone interview. These are the qualities she hopes to inspire in her fans.

As the first African-American soloist for the American Ballet Theater in two decades, Copeland exudes a glamour as a ballerina that seems ethereal, but was very down-to-earth as she discussed fashion and her future.

Read below to understand the thoughts behind her 2013 calendar, which was designed to appeal to fans beyond those typical of traditional ballet. You will find a grounded, lovely person with a broad understanding of life and art.

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One Comment

  1. Definitely going to buy this calendar. She’s so gorgeous and inspirational.

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