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PEOPLE & ARTSWednesday 21 October
Misty Copeland: “My career really is just now beginning”
JOCELYN NOVECK In this image released by Sundance Selects, Misty Copeland appears in “A Ballerina’s Tale.” terrible pain, and she had
AP National Writer Associated Press to pull out of later perfor-
NEW YORK (AP) — Misty mances. Once she’d had
Copeland has already months since Copeland, position when I make these I’m still not jumping fully,” her surgery, George sug-
achieved a crossover pop now 33, made dance his- debuts and all the crit- Copeland says. “I mean, 32 gested a film that would
culture fame that few tory by becoming the first ics are coming,” she says, fouettes (whipping turns) in chronicle her struggle. “I
dancers could ever hope female African-American somewhat wistfully. “That ‘Swan Lake’ are on my sur- saw it as this unique window
to have. She’s a best-selling principal dancer in ABT’s doesn’t happen to most gery leg, and still today it’s into an artist’s life,” George
author, a celebrity spokes- 75-year history. dancers on their debuts, a struggle. says, “when they’re com-
person, and a role model. That came just days after that they’re being critiqued It’s so painful.” But there’s ing from a period of great
In just the last five months, her widely covered New like that. It’s a very interest- a reason the public didn’t heights, to go down and
she’s appeared in a Broad- York debut in the ultimate ing position to be in.” know about her injury, Co- pick themselves back up.”
way show, presented at ballerina role, Odette/ There was another chal- peland says: “We’re not They began shooting as
the Tonys, danced on “The Odile in “Swan Lake.” It’s lenge, too, one that hard- MEANT to expose those Copeland attended one
Late Show with Stephen a famously demanding ly anyone watching that things. We’re on stage pre- of her first post-surgery bal-
Colbert,” and attended a role for any ballerina, but historic performance was senting this beautiful, effort- let classes, clearly nervous
White House state dinner. for Copeland, it was that aware of. Copeland was less experience for the au- and unsteady.
And now she’s in the mov- much tougher because the still feeling the effects of sur- dience.” The film also includes foot-
ies — the subject of “A Bal- world was watching. gery she had in 2012 to re- George met Copeland at age of Copeland’s first
lerina’s Tale,” a new docu- From a purely dance per- pair six stress fractures in her her 2012 debut in “Firebird,” post-surgery guest perfor-
mentary by Nelson George. spective, it’s clear she wish- left tibia. It was a career- a huge leap in her career mance, with a small com-
And yet, Copeland on es she’d had a little time to threatening injury; she’s still at the time. Backstage af- pany in Brooklyn. She per-
Wednesday begins just her quietly grow into the role. not 100 percent. terward, though, Cope- formed the “Dying Swan”
first season as a principal “I clearly am in a different “It’s been three years and land confessed she was in solo, and she’s the first to
ballerina with American say she wasn’t at her best.
Ballet Theatre. “I do feel “It’s so hard to watch!”
that my career really is just Copeland says now. “But
now beginning,” she says, it was just something I had
laughing at how incongru- to do, for my own san-
ous that sounds. ity and confidence. Nelson
The offers and opportuni- captured these moments
ties keep coming — but where I knew I wasn’t go-
no matter the distractions, ing to be happy with ... and
one thing comes first, she I wasn’t.”
says. “I’ve never sacrificed An obvious perfection-
a ballet class, I’ve never ist, Copeland also wor-
sacrificed a rehearsal, and ried about the deal the
that will NEVER happen,” audience was getting.
Copeland said in an inter- “Why am I putting people
view last week, scheduled through this?” she says she
on a Monday because wondered at the time.
that’s the only day she can “They don’t know that I’ve
ever take off from her ABT gone through this surgery,
duties. “It’s not a hard bal- and this may be the first
ance. The dance is always time and the last time they
first.” It’s been less than four will see me perform.”q
Herbie Hancock put himself on ‘lockdown’ to finish album
LEANNE ITALIE before he picked up an has just returned from event that drew arts and
Associated Press award from the nonprofit an energy conference entertainment stars who
NEW YORK (AP) — Jazz Americans for the Arts that in Mumbai and also has included Tony Bennett,
great Herbie Hancock has he needed to make a toured a reactor site near Paul Simon, Jeff Koons and
the heart of an artist but change to move along the Oslo, meeting with politi- Chuck Close.
the self-imposed lifestyle of album he’s been working cians and nuclear scientists So, as technology has revo-
a hermit, at least for now. on for the last four years. there. lutionized the world, includ-
He said Monday night “Because I keep saying “There’s a place for the ing the music business, ex-
yes to everything, I haven’t arts in order to be able to actly what does it mean to
Herbie Hancock attends the been able to do it. So finally change the hearts and be an artist today?
Americans for the Arts 2015 I put myself on lockdown.” minds of people who are “The heart of the artist is still
National Arts Awards at Cipri- House arrest for Hancock very much misinformed the same,” Hancock of-
ani 42nd Street on Monday, began at the beginning of about the safety of nucle- fered. “We play our music,
Oct. 19, 2015, in New York. October, “But am I home ar technology,” he said we create our art, in order
doing my record? No,” he from the red carpet before to share something about
Associated Press laughed. collecting the National Arts our humanity with other
Award for outstanding con- people. It’s to encourage
What else has he been do- tributions to the arts. people not to be afraid of
ing? Well, campaigning Sophia Loren and Lady being outside the box be-
against nuclear technol- Gaga were among hon- cause that’s what innova-
ogy, for starters. Hancock orees at a start-studded tion is about.” q
