What is Misty Copeland's Net Worth?
Misty Copeland is an American ballet dancer who has a net worth of $1.5 million. Misty Copeland dances for American Ballet Theatre. She is the first African-American woman to be promoted to principal dancer in the company's history. Due to her fame as a dancer, she became a public speaker, stage actor, author, and celebrity spokesperson. Copeland also narrated the documentary film "A Ballerina's Tale," about her life and career.
Early Life and Education
Misty Copeland was born on September 10, 1982 in Kansas City, Missouri, and was raised in Los Angeles, California. Her parents are Doug, who is of German and African-American descent, and Sylvia, who is of Italian and African-American descent. Copeland is the youngest of four children from her mother's second marriage; she has two younger half-siblings from her mother's later marriages. Between the ages of two and 22, Copeland did not see her father. For a while, she lived with her mother and her stepfather Harold in Bellflower, California; she then lived with her mother and new stepfather Robert in LA. For her education, Copeland went to Point Fermin Elementary School and Dana Middle School. At the latter institution, she was captain of the drill team. Copeland went on to attend San Pedro High School.
Career Beginnings
After Copeland's mother separated from her fourth husband, the family moved to Gardena. Soon, Copeland began taking ballet classes under Cynthia Bradley; she eventually moved in with Bradley and her family and signed a management contract with her. When she was 14, Copeland won a national ballet contest and landed her first solo role. She went on to play Clara in a production of "The Nutcracker" at San Pedro High School, drawing an attendance of 2,000. Copeland next played Kitri in a production of "Don Quixote" at the San Pedro Dance Center, followed by a featured role in "The Chocolate Nutcracker" at UCLA's Royce Hall.
Living with the Bradley family, Copeland attended their synagogue and celebrated Shabbat. She grew extremely close with them, and was homeschooled by them for the latter part of her high school education. When she was 15, Copeland won first place at the Los Angeles Music Center Spotlight Awards. She subsequently attended a summer workshop at the San Francisco Ballet School. Despite receiving an offer to continue at the school as a full-time student, Copeland declined so that she could remain with the Bradleys and hopefully spend time with American Ballet Theatre.
Custody Battle
In 1998, Copeland's mother and the Bradleys became engaged in a fraught custody battle over her. While Copeland filed for emancipation, her mother applied for restraining orders against the Bradleys. Ultimately, both sides dropped their respective legal proceedings, and Copeland moved home to begin studying under a new teacher, former American Ballet Theatre dancer Diane Lauridsen.
American Ballet Theatre, 1999-2015
Copeland joined American Ballet Theatre in 1999 as part of the company's summer intensive program; she participated in the program again in 2000. During this time, she was asked to join the ABT Studio Company, and in 2001 became a member of its corps de ballet. Copeland went on to dance in many productions, including "The Sleeping Beauty," "La Bayadère," "workwithinwork," "Raymonda," "Pillar of Fire," and "Swan Lake." In 2005, she had a memorable performance in a production of "Tarantella." The following year, Copeland danced the role of Blossom in "Cinderella," and the year after that danced the Fairy of Valor in "The Sleeping Beauty."
In August of 2007, Copeland was made a soloist at ABT, making her one of the few African-American women ever to be appointed to that position in the company's history. Her first season as a soloist was a strong one, drawing many good notices from critics. In the 2008-09 season, she earned acclaimed for her work in "Baker's Dozen" and "Company B." At the Met, Copeland performed Gulnare in "Le Corsaire." Later in 2009, she performed in ABT's first trip to Beijing. Copeland went on to perform in a myriad of productions during her remaining six seasons as a soloist, with notable credits including "Birthday Offering," "The Bright Stream," "The Firebird," "Backstage," "Coppélia," and "Othello."
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ABT Principal Dancer
Copeland was appointed principal dancer at ABT in June of 2015, making her the first-ever African-American woman in the company's 75-year history to assume that role. She went on to impress audiences in "Monotones I," "AfterEffect," "Souvenir de Florence," and several reprises of past performances, including "The Sleeping Beauty" and "The Firebird." In 2019, Copeland danced "Harlequinade" opposite Calvin Royal III.
Other Media Appearances
Copeland has made sundry media appearances outside the world of ballet. In 2014, she was a guest judge on the 11th season of the reality television competition program "So You Think You Can Dance." The following year, she made her Broadway debut in a revival of the musical "On the Town," playing the role of Ivy Smith for two weeks. Also that year, Copeland narrated the documentary film "A Ballerina's Tale," which focuses on her life and career. Among her other notable appearances, she walked the runway at New York Fashion Week; served as a guest judge on the show "World of Dance"; and was featured in ad campaigns for such brands as T-Mobile, Dr. Pepper, Seiko, and Under Armour.
Business Ventures and Books
In 2011, Copeland released a line of dancewear called M by Misty. She later launched a sports apparel label called Greatness Wins. As an author, Copeland co-wrote the memoirs "Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina" and "The Wind at My Back: Resilience, Grace, and Other Gifts from My Mentor, Raven Wilkinson. Her other books have included the children's picture books "Firebird" and "Bunheads" and the health and fitness guide "Ballerina Body."
Personal Life
Copeland married her husband, attorney Olu Evans, in 2016. They had been introduced to each other 12 years earlier by Evans's cousin, actor Taye Diggs. The couple has a son and lives in Manhattan on the Upper West Side.
