1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:02,440 Speaker 1: So you know, I was having dinner with a couple 2 00:00:02,440 --> 00:00:05,640 Speaker 1: of producers for this show. We were talking about Baltimore's 3 00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:09,800 Speaker 1: School of the Arts, where someone on our team worked 4 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:14,640 Speaker 1: for ten years, and she mentioned that Tupac did ballet, 5 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:20,079 Speaker 1: and we were just having this conversation about expanding the 6 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:26,480 Speaker 1: ideas of who can study something like classical ballet, and 7 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:30,760 Speaker 1: the fact that this is a world that has traditionally 8 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:34,879 Speaker 1: been sort of narrow in the way the types of 9 00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 1: people that will, you know, study ballet, and also the 10 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 1: fact that it's hasn't really necessarily tried that hard to 11 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:46,600 Speaker 1: draw in young men, and certainly not young black men. 12 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:50,479 Speaker 1: And Misty Copeland is my guest today, and she has 13 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:53,279 Speaker 1: broken records from a young age and now she is 14 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:57,160 Speaker 1: just pushing for exactly that, for more diversity in dance 15 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:01,040 Speaker 1: with her foundation, the Misty Copeland Foundation. She's the first 16 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: black principal ballerine at the American Ballet Theater, and I 17 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:10,319 Speaker 1: might add that it took them seventy years to get there. 18 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:22,479 Speaker 1: So lean in. I'm glad you're here from this one. Hey, 19 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:25,160 Speaker 1: thank you everybody for being here today. I'm very, very 20 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 1: excited to have our guest, Misty Copeland with us on 21 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 1: the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. For those of you 22 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 1: who don't know, get out from under the Rock. This 23 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:40,960 Speaker 1: is one of America's greatest ballerina is with an incredible 24 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 1: history and an incredible story. You know, I'm always looking 25 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 1: for connections. That's kind of like what kind of one 26 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 1: of the essence of this particular podcast. And it's interesting 27 00:01:56,520 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 1: because recently I was speaking to Eli Manning, who was 28 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 1: a great quarterback for the New York Giants, and uh, 29 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:11,760 Speaker 1: I was talking about how hard it is for me 30 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 1: to picture doing what he does for a living. And 31 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 1: you know, in my job, I'm constantly meeting with people 32 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 1: and trying to do research and ride alongs and you know, 33 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:26,520 Speaker 1: trying to make me look like I could actually do 34 00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:28,720 Speaker 1: a job that I have would have no idea how 35 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 1: to do. So when I look at something like, you know, 36 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:33,720 Speaker 1: being a quarterback. But the strange thing is is that 37 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:37,359 Speaker 1: I did a dance movie and I can't imagine being 38 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 1: a dancer. I mean, I just I just think about 39 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 1: that like it's you know, the the the discipline and 40 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:48,640 Speaker 1: the and the and the dedication and the toll on 41 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 1: your body and all those things in that really tiny 42 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:55,920 Speaker 1: little moment that I had to experience. It really kicked 43 00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 1: my ass. So I'm really curious about what the what 44 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 1: the what the what the choice was, and what was 45 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:04,080 Speaker 1: the road that brought you to this life. 46 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:08,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, I love hearing people's experiences with dance, and so 47 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 2: many people that have ventured into all different, you know, 48 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:16,840 Speaker 2: areas of whatever it is they choose to do, have 49 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:18,920 Speaker 2: some sort of connection with it, you know. I think 50 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 2: it's such a an innate part of us as human beings. 51 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:27,160 Speaker 2: Like what we do, Like the first thing we do 52 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 2: when we come out of the womb is we scream 53 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 2: and we move our bodies. 54 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 3: Like that's like how. 55 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:34,880 Speaker 2: We communicate before we have language, we move our bodies, 56 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 2: and so it's it's always fascinating for me to hear 57 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:42,040 Speaker 2: people's experience with that. And it was something that I 58 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 2: kind of clung onto from a very young age, growing 59 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 2: up one of six children in a single parent home, 60 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 2: a middle child, and already I was very shy and introverted, 61 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 2: and so dance became this very natural outlet for me 62 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 2: to find my voice. But ballet, I had no introduction 63 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 2: to ballet at all. 64 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 3: I didn't know what it was. 65 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:10,800 Speaker 2: I'd never heard classical music, and that wouldn't come into 66 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:12,560 Speaker 2: my life until I was thirteen years. 67 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:14,600 Speaker 1: Old, and it was, so, what were you listening to? 68 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:21,159 Speaker 4: Oh Man, Well, Mariah Carey was a huge, a huge 69 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 4: inspiration for me because she her her debut album came 70 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:28,279 Speaker 4: out when I was like seven eight years old, and 71 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:30,680 Speaker 4: you know, it was the first time I felt. 72 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 2: Really connected to someone and I felt like I could 73 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:37,159 Speaker 2: see myself there her being biracial, and I felt like 74 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 2: I didn't have a lot of that representation. That's not 75 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 2: something I could identify at that age. It would take 76 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:44,360 Speaker 2: me years to like really recognize why I was so 77 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:47,200 Speaker 2: fascinated by. I saw something that you recognized, but I 78 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:49,359 Speaker 2: saw something. But I listened to a lot of like 79 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:52,680 Speaker 2: pop and hip hop and R and B music, and 80 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:55,839 Speaker 2: I was creating to that. So when I was introduced 81 00:04:55,839 --> 00:04:59,200 Speaker 2: to ballet, it was so foreign. It was at a 82 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:01,800 Speaker 2: boys and girls club at my community center that was 83 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 2: like right across the street from the public school I 84 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:10,360 Speaker 2: was attending in San Pedro, California. And immediately the teacher 85 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:14,680 Speaker 2: who was offering this free ballet class at the boys 86 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:17,120 Speaker 2: and Girls club on the basketball court in the gym, 87 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:23,240 Speaker 2: she immediately saw talent she said, you're a prodigy, and 88 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:25,800 Speaker 2: I want to bring you into my school in full scholarship. 89 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:27,280 Speaker 3: And it was. 90 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:30,760 Speaker 2: Shocking to me, like I didn't really know what ballet. 91 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:33,840 Speaker 1: Maybe I didn't hear that. How old were you? 92 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:35,000 Speaker 3: I was thirteen? 93 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:38,840 Speaker 1: Thirteen, Okay, so thirteen seems kind of isn't it kind 94 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 1: of late? Before ballet it is old. It has been. 95 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:48,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean similar to you know when you think 96 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:53,800 Speaker 2: about like figure skaters or gymnasts, you know there's, yeah, 97 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:57,599 Speaker 2: you start young, or there's this idea that you want 98 00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 2: to mold the body and really ingrain this language and 99 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:09,640 Speaker 2: technique before the body hits puberty to be blunt and 100 00:06:09,839 --> 00:06:12,520 Speaker 2: just so that it's something that's really ingrained and become 101 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 2: second nature. So by the time you become a teenager 102 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:19,599 Speaker 2: a young adult, you're not thinking about these things. 103 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 3: You're starting to work on your artistry because. 104 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:24,720 Speaker 1: It's literally wanting to mold the actual body of the 105 00:06:24,839 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 1: child into into whatever that thing happens. 106 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:28,440 Speaker 3: To be exactly. 107 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 2: And you know, I think I was built for this. 108 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 2: I think I was born with the body and my 109 00:06:37,839 --> 00:06:41,600 Speaker 2: body was still agile and like really just kind of 110 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:46,719 Speaker 2: soaked up all of this information so quickly uh, you know, 111 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:48,400 Speaker 2: and I was called a prodigy. 112 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:52,760 Speaker 3: And it took some uh some. 113 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:55,479 Speaker 2: Kind of you know, like pushing for me to really 114 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 2: want to commit to it because at the time, I 115 00:06:57,640 --> 00:06:59,640 Speaker 2: was on the dance team at my middle school and 116 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:01,960 Speaker 2: that me was like so much fun. I was dancing 117 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:05,160 Speaker 2: to like George Michael and and I was like, I 118 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:07,719 Speaker 2: didn't really have any interest in this thing called, you know, 119 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:10,400 Speaker 2: classical ballet and classical music. But it wasn't until I 120 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 2: left the boys and Girls club and was taken into 121 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:15,920 Speaker 2: the local ballet school that I really started to feel 122 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:19,320 Speaker 2: empowered and and like I was a part of something 123 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:22,239 Speaker 2: that was bigger than me, that I had a sense 124 00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:27,120 Speaker 2: of purpose that I never experienced. And it was like 125 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:33,480 Speaker 2: this technique was everything I was searching for and needed, 126 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 2: not not you know, not in terms of just like physicality, 127 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 2: but emotionally and intellectually. Uh. There were so many things 128 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:49,440 Speaker 2: as a young person that I was not what's the 129 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:53,080 Speaker 2: word I'm looking for. I hadn't evolved in the way 130 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:54,960 Speaker 2: that I think I needed to at that point because 131 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:57,440 Speaker 2: of what I had been exposed to in my young life, 132 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:01,800 Speaker 2: and ballet kind of allowed me to like speed up 133 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:03,760 Speaker 2: and catch up to where I needed to be in 134 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:08,320 Speaker 2: so many ways, and that's like the beauty of art. 135 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:13,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, I can one hundred percent, uh relate to 136 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:18,240 Speaker 1: one piece of that, and that is that I remember, 137 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:21,400 Speaker 1: I've actually talked about it on the show before, but 138 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:26,080 Speaker 1: that the first time that I got into an acting class. 139 00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:31,000 Speaker 1: You know, I was probably about twelve or something, and 140 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:34,760 Speaker 1: you know, preteen, and you know, trying to be cool 141 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:37,440 Speaker 1: and trying to be tough and you know, trying to 142 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:41,240 Speaker 1: be a boy and do all that stuff. And it 143 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:46,400 Speaker 1: was so freeing to me because I could be vulnerable, 144 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:50,920 Speaker 1: I could be I found it, whether I even knew 145 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:55,280 Speaker 1: this word, I found it immediately therapeutic. So it wasn't 146 00:08:55,400 --> 00:09:01,320 Speaker 1: just the creation of the part or the art. It 147 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:06,680 Speaker 1: was actually something that was whether I wasn't even cognizant 148 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 1: of it, but I think I really needed it to 149 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:15,160 Speaker 1: help me get through these those years, which are you know, 150 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:18,160 Speaker 1: they are tough years in any situation. So it sounds 151 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:20,560 Speaker 1: like it gave you something that was pretty deep and 152 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:22,360 Speaker 1: profound on a personal level. 153 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:26,440 Speaker 2: It Yeah, yeah, I mean so much of what you're saying. 154 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:29,840 Speaker 2: I mean, it definitely was therapeutic. It also gave me 155 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:33,439 Speaker 2: this sense of stability and structure that I had never experienced. 156 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:37,160 Speaker 2: There's a lot of chaos and moving around in my 157 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:41,480 Speaker 2: childhood and to have something that I come to, I 158 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:43,520 Speaker 2: know it's going to be there every day, I don't know. 159 00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:45,559 Speaker 2: It was like three point thirty my ballet class, and 160 00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:48,240 Speaker 2: I knew exactly what we're going to do, the structure 161 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:49,719 Speaker 2: of the class. We're going to start with Pia's, go 162 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:52,200 Speaker 2: to Tandi's and Degachts and Fondi's, and you know, there's 163 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:57,000 Speaker 2: this consistency that's built that becomes almost like a meditation 164 00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:02,440 Speaker 2: that allowed my body just to like release and relax. 165 00:10:02,520 --> 00:10:08,440 Speaker 2: I was such a tense, nervous child because of that 166 00:10:08,679 --> 00:10:11,280 Speaker 2: lack of stability and not knowing if there was going 167 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:13,040 Speaker 2: to be food on the table or a roof over 168 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 2: our heads, and there was something that ballet just gave 169 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:19,920 Speaker 2: me this this sense of safety. 170 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:26,520 Speaker 1: Almost have you ever in retrospect questioned or or wondered 171 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:32,200 Speaker 1: about ballet in terms of those those things in terms 172 00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:35,040 Speaker 1: of a child, you know, having such a rigorous schedule, 173 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:41,880 Speaker 1: having such a difficult, uh you know, physically difficult workload 174 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:45,520 Speaker 1: to accomplish every day, being in the spotlight, all those 175 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:47,719 Speaker 1: kinds of things, I mean it's kind of like the 176 00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:50,600 Speaker 1: question of, you know, would you let your kid play football? 177 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:53,920 Speaker 1: You know, I mean, do you have you ever questioned 178 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:56,200 Speaker 1: any of those things as you've grown up or or 179 00:10:56,320 --> 00:10:57,720 Speaker 1: lived your life or had this career. 180 00:10:58,800 --> 00:11:00,520 Speaker 3: No, I really haven't. 181 00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:05,200 Speaker 2: I feel I feel very fortunate because of the teachers 182 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:10,400 Speaker 2: that I've had. I know, those teachers that aren't nurturing 183 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:16,600 Speaker 2: and that perpetuate the trauma they've experienced, and I don't 184 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:20,360 Speaker 2: feel that I had that experience, which is so rare 185 00:11:20,679 --> 00:11:24,200 Speaker 2: in the ballet world, you know. But I had an 186 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:29,400 Speaker 2: environment that was very nurturing and that allowed me to 187 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:32,040 Speaker 2: feel like, this is fun, this is something I want 188 00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 2: to return to. 189 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:35,160 Speaker 3: I enjoyed the challenge. 190 00:11:35,640 --> 00:11:38,520 Speaker 2: And it just felt like beauty to me. It didn't 191 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:40,679 Speaker 2: feel like you know, I think people think of it 192 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:44,240 Speaker 2: often think of discipline a discipline in. 193 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:45,240 Speaker 3: Like a negative way. 194 00:11:46,040 --> 00:11:53,560 Speaker 2: I would absolutely put my son in ballet, and I 195 00:11:53,720 --> 00:11:55,880 Speaker 2: you know, I mean, this was the reason for starting 196 00:11:56,040 --> 00:12:00,640 Speaker 2: the Misty Copland Foundation and starting our signature program. Be 197 00:12:00,760 --> 00:12:04,760 Speaker 2: Bold was with this idea that when you remove all 198 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:09,680 Speaker 2: of the stuff at its core, ballet is so good. 199 00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:11,439 Speaker 3: There's so many. 200 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:15,120 Speaker 2: Incredible tools that you can take into all areas of 201 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:17,120 Speaker 2: your life. You know, it's not just about becoming a 202 00:12:17,160 --> 00:12:21,960 Speaker 2: professional dancer, you know, it's it's being exposed to the 203 00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:23,880 Speaker 2: to the rigor, to the joy. 204 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:26,319 Speaker 3: To the music, to the discipline. 205 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:29,720 Speaker 2: You know, so many things that you get from being 206 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:34,360 Speaker 2: an athlete and an artist, and it's really combined in ballet. 207 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:35,840 Speaker 1: How old is your son? 208 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:39,800 Speaker 3: He is almost eighteen months. 209 00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:43,120 Speaker 1: Eighteen months, Okay, so he's probably not dancing yet, although 210 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:45,760 Speaker 1: maybe I don't know he is. He is, Okay, so 211 00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:46,200 Speaker 1: there you go. 212 00:12:46,360 --> 00:12:49,920 Speaker 3: He is. 213 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:57,440 Speaker 1: But this brings up a question that's always kind of 214 00:12:57,480 --> 00:12:59,400 Speaker 1: amazed me, and you sort of alluded to it a 215 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:01,640 Speaker 1: little bit. Becare as you said that you were a natural. 216 00:13:01,720 --> 00:13:04,480 Speaker 1: I mean, obviously if you were that much of a 217 00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:08,480 Speaker 1: prodigy at such a young age and such an accelerated, 218 00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:14,600 Speaker 1: you know, kind of career. You know, I'll go to 219 00:13:14,679 --> 00:13:19,800 Speaker 1: a of a wedding and look around and there'll be 220 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:25,160 Speaker 1: people and I just can't even understand how they could 221 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:28,280 Speaker 1: be so off about the way they move. I'm not 222 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:31,520 Speaker 1: even talking about like, I'm not even talking about choices 223 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:35,200 Speaker 1: of what kind of moves you're gonna do. I'm talking 224 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:40,160 Speaker 1: about literal, like no idea that there is a beat 225 00:13:40,559 --> 00:13:43,760 Speaker 1: like no idea, not even talking about clapping on the 226 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:48,160 Speaker 1: one in the three. I'm talking about like you'd literally 227 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:51,640 Speaker 1: not hearing that there's any kind of rhythm to And 228 00:13:51,679 --> 00:13:56,680 Speaker 1: I wonder if there's if that is a nature nurture thing. 229 00:13:56,840 --> 00:14:00,960 Speaker 1: I mean, I literally, I'm not I'm not a great dancer, 230 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:04,080 Speaker 1: but from the time I was a little kid, I 231 00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:09,800 Speaker 1: could dance. Yeah, I mean I could. I'm I'm I'm not, 232 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:13,800 Speaker 1: I'm not skilled whatever, but I can definitely hear with 233 00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:17,080 Speaker 1: the thing is supposed to be? What? What? What? What's 234 00:14:17,080 --> 00:14:20,120 Speaker 1: your feeling about that. I've never spoken to a ballet 235 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:20,880 Speaker 1: dancer about that. 236 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:25,840 Speaker 3: So I'm a believer that anything is possible. 237 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:28,080 Speaker 2: Okay, I don't. 238 00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:28,880 Speaker 1: I do. 239 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:32,320 Speaker 3: I think that it may not look the way. 240 00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:37,040 Speaker 2: That you you imagine it should look, but there's possibility 241 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:41,960 Speaker 2: in growth if someone is exposed to it and and taught. 242 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:45,080 Speaker 3: I mean, I've seen it. I've seen it happen. 243 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:48,480 Speaker 2: I've seen dancers that have grown immensely, like you know, 244 00:14:48,520 --> 00:14:53,600 Speaker 2: with the right focus and intention and nurturing people that 245 00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:55,920 Speaker 2: you know, it's like, I don't know if there's any 246 00:14:55,960 --> 00:14:58,040 Speaker 2: potential there, and then you know, I don't know how 247 00:14:58,160 --> 00:14:59,680 Speaker 2: many years later, but I do. 248 00:14:59,760 --> 00:15:01,760 Speaker 3: I think it's possible, and you believe it. 249 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:03,560 Speaker 1: It can all be taught. It can all be taught. 250 00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:07,400 Speaker 2: I don't know about all, but I think that everyone 251 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:10,479 Speaker 2: can learn to dance to like the best of their ability. 252 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:17,120 Speaker 2: But there can't there can be something learned and improvement made. Yeah. 253 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:22,160 Speaker 1: So yeah, so everyone right now, get up, put on 254 00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:26,360 Speaker 1: Mariah Carey, yes, and get to. 255 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 2: You have if you have a body, If you have 256 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:30,480 Speaker 2: a body, you can dance. 257 00:15:30,920 --> 00:15:34,440 Speaker 1: Well. Listen, I mean your heart beats in rhythm, right, 258 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:37,760 Speaker 1: your heart's beat in rhythm. It should it should be 259 00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:40,160 Speaker 1: a natural it should be a natural thing. I was 260 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:44,080 Speaker 1: reading that. I was reading that you performed. Did you 261 00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:46,520 Speaker 1: perform with Taylor Swift? 262 00:15:47,320 --> 00:15:47,600 Speaker 2: Yes? 263 00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:53,480 Speaker 3: That's wild, It was really Yeah, it was really an. 264 00:15:53,320 --> 00:15:58,560 Speaker 2: Incredible experience to perform with someone not only that you know, 265 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:05,680 Speaker 2: talent and successful, but that's so gracious and grounded, that's 266 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:10,520 Speaker 2: always like in a different way, in a different way, 267 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:14,080 Speaker 2: in a different way. I mean, Prince I you know, 268 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:16,920 Speaker 2: that's one of the closest collaborations that I've had with 269 00:16:16,960 --> 00:16:20,800 Speaker 2: another artist, and spent many many years working with him 270 00:16:20,800 --> 00:16:25,600 Speaker 2: on and off, and he just had such a confidence 271 00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:28,000 Speaker 2: and a way about him, and I think that a 272 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:30,080 Speaker 2: lot of people didn't realize was how much he gave 273 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:36,960 Speaker 2: back and mentored and was constantly looking for, you know, 274 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:41,600 Speaker 2: someone young and up and coming that he could kind 275 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:45,320 Speaker 2: of take under his wing. I didn't find this out 276 00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:47,840 Speaker 2: until after he had passed, but that he had been 277 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:52,240 Speaker 2: following my career since I was about fourteen or fifteen 278 00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:52,800 Speaker 2: years old. 279 00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:53,080 Speaker 1: Wo. 280 00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:56,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, we ended. 281 00:16:56,640 --> 00:16:58,200 Speaker 2: Up collaborating for the first time. I think when I 282 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:01,360 Speaker 2: was around twenty six twenty seven. He had been trying 283 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:03,360 Speaker 2: to contact me and had been following my career. But 284 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:06,920 Speaker 2: he's that way with a lot of young artists, and 285 00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:10,040 Speaker 2: it's amazing to be able to have access to someone 286 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:15,240 Speaker 2: like him, with his experience and incredible gifts, and to 287 00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:18,680 Speaker 2: get to be on stage and perform with and see 288 00:17:18,680 --> 00:17:22,800 Speaker 2: it firsthandow and learn from a genius. So I I, 289 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:26,040 Speaker 2: you know, attribute a lot of my growth as an 290 00:17:26,160 --> 00:17:29,119 Speaker 2: artist to the time that we spent working together. 291 00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:33,080 Speaker 1: Did you have a mentor was that with mentorship important? 292 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:35,480 Speaker 1: I mean to you when you're when you're. 293 00:17:35,240 --> 00:17:38,480 Speaker 3: Coming up, Yeah, absolutely. 294 00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:41,080 Speaker 2: I Mean what's so interesting is that it's really built 295 00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:46,480 Speaker 2: in to the to the ballet structure, you know, so 296 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:51,840 Speaker 2: much of the choreography and kind of notes and things 297 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:57,320 Speaker 2: like that aren't really documented in writing, so a lot 298 00:17:57,359 --> 00:18:00,840 Speaker 2: of what we what we learn is pasted literally from 299 00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:03,320 Speaker 2: one mouth to the next. And so there's this kind 300 00:18:03,320 --> 00:18:05,920 Speaker 2: of built it in mentorship within the structure of how 301 00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 2: how a ballet company or school works. And so my 302 00:18:12,560 --> 00:18:15,520 Speaker 2: first ballet teacher was definitely like that for me, and 303 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:19,600 Speaker 2: it just became something that was natural for me to 304 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:20,840 Speaker 2: kind of seek out. 305 00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:23,280 Speaker 3: Or be open to the idea of guidance. 306 00:18:24,280 --> 00:18:28,560 Speaker 2: Victoria Ral was probably one of the first people that 307 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:32,200 Speaker 2: really took me under her wing. Actress, soap opera actress, 308 00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:34,719 Speaker 2: and she actually started out as a as a ballerina 309 00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:41,120 Speaker 2: at American Ballet Theater and Uh, to have someone who 310 00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:44,560 Speaker 2: has walked in those in my shoes, you know, as 311 00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:47,920 Speaker 2: a black woman in a ballet company where you don't 312 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:50,199 Speaker 2: see anyone who looks like you like it was just 313 00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:52,200 Speaker 2: meant a lot just to sit down and see her, 314 00:18:52,359 --> 00:18:55,280 Speaker 2: hear the stories, have these conversations, and it's it's been 315 00:18:55,400 --> 00:18:58,160 Speaker 2: such a big part of my journey is just having 316 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:00,920 Speaker 2: the mentors in my life. 317 00:19:01,080 --> 00:19:05,639 Speaker 1: The first black prima ballerina in the history of ABT 318 00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:09,639 Speaker 1: which American ballet theater, which is something amazing to be 319 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:13,159 Speaker 1: to be so proud of it only took them seventy 320 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:19,440 Speaker 1: five years, but but you were it, and that's quite 321 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:25,600 Speaker 1: an accomplishment. You know, you mentioned something which is fascinating 322 00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:28,159 Speaker 1: to me, and that is that, well, there's two pieces 323 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:30,879 Speaker 1: of it. I mean back to I guess football is 324 00:19:30,920 --> 00:19:35,000 Speaker 1: on my mind, but back to you know, athletes they 325 00:19:35,119 --> 00:19:40,280 Speaker 1: use their bodies and they have to you know, sacrifice 326 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:43,760 Speaker 1: their bodies in those kinds of ways. But what's going 327 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:48,679 Speaker 1: on in their face? Maybe in baseball, but it is 328 00:19:48,800 --> 00:19:55,119 Speaker 1: basically not the story. It's all about this machine, whereas 329 00:19:55,760 --> 00:20:02,200 Speaker 1: in ballet that's a big, big piece. Is this lack 330 00:20:02,280 --> 00:20:05,960 Speaker 1: of a better word, acting component, you know, the emotional component. 331 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:09,240 Speaker 1: It's not just you know, how well you hear the 332 00:20:09,320 --> 00:20:11,359 Speaker 1: music of portraiteaus or how high you leap any of 333 00:20:11,359 --> 00:20:17,600 Speaker 1: those things. And my question is you've performed, you know, 334 00:20:17,840 --> 00:20:24,760 Speaker 1: countless ballets that are choreographed, and the choreography I don't 335 00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:28,320 Speaker 1: even know if this is true, but it's written down correct, 336 00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:31,040 Speaker 1: like there's an actual notation or there's a way to 337 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:35,399 Speaker 1: write it, like there is music of what the choreography is. Yes, 338 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:39,760 Speaker 1: but are you how to what extent can you make choices? 339 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:43,119 Speaker 1: So like the whole thing is is, you know, I 340 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:45,720 Speaker 1: get a characters written down a page, but then it's 341 00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:48,119 Speaker 1: all about the choices that I make, and maybe the 342 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:51,720 Speaker 1: choices that I make between take one and Take four, 343 00:20:52,200 --> 00:20:54,399 Speaker 1: or also that if I'm doing a play, the choices 344 00:20:54,400 --> 00:20:56,520 Speaker 1: that I'm gonna make on a Tuesday night or a 345 00:20:56,520 --> 00:20:59,400 Speaker 1: Wednesday afternoon change all the time. So I'm wondering, when 346 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:01,760 Speaker 1: you're in the in the heat of it, how much 347 00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:03,360 Speaker 1: are those choices you're allowed to make. 348 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:08,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a great question. So there is dance notation, 349 00:21:09,119 --> 00:21:13,520 Speaker 2: but it's like such a rare art and we rarely 350 00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:15,359 Speaker 2: use it. But again, like I was saying, it's literally 351 00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:18,639 Speaker 2: just passed down from uh, from dancer to dancer and 352 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:22,159 Speaker 2: whoever is whoever owns the ballet and sets the ballet, 353 00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:23,920 Speaker 2: so they literally sit you. 354 00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:26,680 Speaker 1: In a room and dance from there. 355 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:31,320 Speaker 2: Well, the choreographer is long long dead, so with a 356 00:21:31,359 --> 00:21:34,000 Speaker 2: lot of these ballets, so it's really passed on from 357 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:36,639 Speaker 2: like ballerina to like that's that you know, it was 358 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:38,320 Speaker 2: it was created on them and then it was passed 359 00:21:38,359 --> 00:21:41,520 Speaker 2: on to another ballerina to another Valerias. It's literally handed 360 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:46,560 Speaker 2: down like that. But within that so you're you're taught 361 00:21:46,840 --> 00:21:50,280 Speaker 2: exact choreography that you have to do. Like there's there's 362 00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:55,240 Speaker 2: no real wiggle room within these, you know, ballets that 363 00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:58,480 Speaker 2: were created in like the late eighteen hundreds. But when 364 00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:01,320 Speaker 2: it comes to care, sure, like you do have a 365 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:07,199 Speaker 2: choice in how you approach certain things. Also depending on 366 00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:10,600 Speaker 2: who's setting the ballet. So there are some some uh 367 00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:14,440 Speaker 2: former dancers that will come and have kind of ownership 368 00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:18,240 Speaker 2: over what the ballet will look like and and they 369 00:22:18,280 --> 00:22:21,040 Speaker 2: don't really give you a lot of space. But for 370 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:25,400 Speaker 2: me personally, I have often done a lot of research 371 00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:31,600 Speaker 2: outside of the ballet company and gotten coaching in terms 372 00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:35,240 Speaker 2: of like theater acting outside of American Ballet theater, and 373 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:39,240 Speaker 2: will make choices in the moment on stage when it's 374 00:22:39,280 --> 00:22:40,919 Speaker 2: too late for anyone to say anything to me. 375 00:22:41,119 --> 00:22:45,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, I like I like because there's no take too, 376 00:22:46,760 --> 00:22:50,359 Speaker 1: there's no take. That's that's that's the way to be. 377 00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:53,960 Speaker 1: I like I like that a lot. That's that's that's awesome. 378 00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:56,399 Speaker 1: Tell me about the Flowers movie. I mean, you're you 379 00:22:56,480 --> 00:22:59,679 Speaker 1: have you I love me just say You're doing so 380 00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:05,359 Speaker 1: many other things besides dancing films and books, and I 381 00:23:05,359 --> 00:23:08,120 Speaker 1: think children's books as well, and yeah, you know, all 382 00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:12,119 Speaker 1: kinds of the charitable work which we're going to get into. 383 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:15,160 Speaker 1: But I'm curious about the Flowers movie. 384 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:18,399 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean it's a great segue in terms of 385 00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:20,560 Speaker 2: what we were just talking about, because what's been so 386 00:23:20,680 --> 00:23:24,440 Speaker 2: fascinating stepping into this space. So I have a production 387 00:23:24,520 --> 00:23:26,560 Speaker 2: company that I started with my best friend who is 388 00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:27,480 Speaker 2: a former ballerino. 389 00:23:27,520 --> 00:23:28,960 Speaker 3: We met at American Ballet. 390 00:23:28,680 --> 00:23:32,439 Speaker 2: Theater and she transitioned after only a year of dancing 391 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:37,000 Speaker 2: professionally into writing and producing in television and that's what 392 00:23:37,040 --> 00:23:40,280 Speaker 2: she's been doing for almost twenty years. And so we 393 00:23:40,359 --> 00:23:42,320 Speaker 2: created this production company and. 394 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:46,160 Speaker 3: To transition into being creative. 395 00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:49,639 Speaker 2: In this space, you know, I have so much I 396 00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:52,720 Speaker 2: have to take much more initiative, and I have much 397 00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:58,840 Speaker 2: more agency and creative power and freedom in a way that. 398 00:23:58,920 --> 00:24:01,399 Speaker 3: Like I never experienced in my field. 399 00:24:01,560 --> 00:24:05,280 Speaker 2: So with this, this is our first project that really 400 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:06,400 Speaker 2: has come to fruition. 401 00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:07,760 Speaker 3: It's a short film. 402 00:24:07,760 --> 00:24:11,280 Speaker 2: It's an art activism film all Flower and I produced 403 00:24:11,320 --> 00:24:15,560 Speaker 2: it and came up with the concept with our executive 404 00:24:15,560 --> 00:24:19,760 Speaker 2: producer and Nelson George and a star in it. And 405 00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:24,000 Speaker 2: you know, it was just such a unique experience for 406 00:24:24,080 --> 00:24:29,680 Speaker 2: me to be acting on camera without words. It's all 407 00:24:29,720 --> 00:24:37,120 Speaker 2: through I guess my type, movement and dance and you know, 408 00:24:37,200 --> 00:24:40,000 Speaker 2: the just the differences of what you need to do 409 00:24:40,119 --> 00:24:43,359 Speaker 2: when you're in front of a camera versus you know, 410 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:47,600 Speaker 2: the Metropolitan Opera house and projecting to the top tier 411 00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:54,920 Speaker 2: of the theater. So that that experience was challenging, but also, 412 00:24:55,320 --> 00:24:57,760 Speaker 2: you know, I love to have like an artistic and 413 00:24:57,840 --> 00:24:59,360 Speaker 2: physical challenge. 414 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:01,240 Speaker 3: So it was such a cool experience. 415 00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:03,760 Speaker 2: But to use my art and to use my voice 416 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:07,760 Speaker 2: in my platform to highlight and focus on a community 417 00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:10,640 Speaker 2: that at the time when we filmed it was during 418 00:25:10,640 --> 00:25:14,640 Speaker 2: the pandemic, was you know, is really struggling Oakland, California, 419 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:18,720 Speaker 2: you know, gentrification in the housing crisis, and then homelessness 420 00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:22,879 Speaker 2: and houselessness in that community. So to be able to 421 00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:27,160 Speaker 2: shine a light, highlight the artists in that community and 422 00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:30,960 Speaker 2: tell a story that I think is important. 423 00:25:30,480 --> 00:25:33,840 Speaker 3: For them was just a really, really cool experience. 424 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:38,200 Speaker 1: I got to check that out. That sounds that sounds amazing. 425 00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:39,960 Speaker 1: I would love to see that. 426 00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:49,239 Speaker 5: If you are inspired by today's episode, please join us 427 00:25:49,240 --> 00:25:52,160 Speaker 5: in supporting six degrees dot org by texting the word 428 00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:56,399 Speaker 5: Bacon to seven zero seven zero seven zero. Your gift 429 00:25:56,400 --> 00:25:59,480 Speaker 5: empowers us to continue to produce programs that highlight the 430 00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:02,960 Speaker 5: incredible work of everyday heroes, well also enabling us to 431 00:26:02,960 --> 00:26:05,919 Speaker 5: provide essential resources to those that need it the most. 432 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:11,520 Speaker 5: Once again, text b a con to seven zero seven 433 00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:15,520 Speaker 5: zero seven zero or visit six degrees dot org to 434 00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:16,120 Speaker 5: learn more. 435 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:20,399 Speaker 1: Okay, well, I think this is a good spot to 436 00:26:20,480 --> 00:26:24,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to the show, Karen Campbell. Karen is the executive 437 00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:29,760 Speaker 1: director of Misty's Foundation, the Misty Copeland Foundation. Hi, Karen, 438 00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:31,440 Speaker 1: thanks for being here today with us. 439 00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:33,520 Speaker 3: Hi Kevin, thank you. 440 00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:35,399 Speaker 1: Tell us about be bold. 441 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:42,760 Speaker 6: It stands for Ballet Explorations, Ballet offers leadership development and 442 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:48,520 Speaker 6: we're actually celebrating one year anniversary of this program and 443 00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:53,160 Speaker 6: it's after school for children five to twelve years old, 444 00:26:53,480 --> 00:26:58,000 Speaker 6: so there's a big age range to learn ballet an affordable, 445 00:26:58,080 --> 00:27:03,000 Speaker 6: accessible and fun way. So we have twelve week cycles 446 00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:07,120 Speaker 6: twice a week, one hour at each class, and it's 447 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:10,879 Speaker 6: two teaching artists and a musician. And Misty had the 448 00:27:10,920 --> 00:27:13,880 Speaker 6: idea that she wanted it to be fun and for 449 00:27:14,080 --> 00:27:18,800 Speaker 6: kids to learn in a less traditional way, still structured, 450 00:27:18,840 --> 00:27:22,879 Speaker 6: but less traditional. So having African drums or bass guitar 451 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:27,800 Speaker 6: player or keyboards, you know, we do across the board 452 00:27:27,880 --> 00:27:32,439 Speaker 6: like different instruments and they during the course of the class. 453 00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:35,760 Speaker 6: What's so amazing, and this is Misty's vision, was that 454 00:27:36,320 --> 00:27:40,480 Speaker 6: each class would start with community agreements, so the teaching 455 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:44,920 Speaker 6: artists and the children would talk about how they're what 456 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:47,000 Speaker 6: they want to have happen in the class, and what 457 00:27:47,160 --> 00:27:51,960 Speaker 6: shouldn't happen, so things that give them agency. Are they 458 00:27:52,200 --> 00:27:56,920 Speaker 6: feeling comfortable, Are they feeling welcomed? Are they feeling good? 459 00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:59,680 Speaker 6: To continue during the course of the class, and they'll 460 00:27:59,680 --> 00:28:01,640 Speaker 6: do a circle up in the beginning and talk about 461 00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:04,400 Speaker 6: how they're feeling, like am I feeling cloudy today? Am 462 00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:08,000 Speaker 6: I feeling sunny today? So that's how each class starts, 463 00:28:08,280 --> 00:28:11,360 Speaker 6: and it's really important for a couple of reasons. One, 464 00:28:11,920 --> 00:28:17,879 Speaker 6: kids during COVID had no opportunity for after school obviously 465 00:28:18,480 --> 00:28:22,800 Speaker 6: or for often expressing their feelings, especially this you know 466 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:26,760 Speaker 6: community that we're working with, and then for them to 467 00:28:26,840 --> 00:28:30,879 Speaker 6: be able to work with these teaching artists and musicians 468 00:28:31,280 --> 00:28:35,199 Speaker 6: each the framework that we're we've created, we're calling it 469 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:38,760 Speaker 6: a framework, not a curriculum, because we're basically flying the 470 00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:44,160 Speaker 6: plane as we're building it. And so we're working with 471 00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:50,000 Speaker 6: a child developmental psychologist and a DEIA consultant to determine 472 00:28:50,040 --> 00:28:53,440 Speaker 6: the best ways to work with these children who have 473 00:28:53,600 --> 00:28:59,920 Speaker 6: had trauma during before COVID, certainly during and now afterwards, 474 00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:03,680 Speaker 6: you know, finding a way to find their voice and 475 00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:07,760 Speaker 6: to feel like they have something that gives them structure. 476 00:29:07,880 --> 00:29:11,800 Speaker 6: To Misty's point, ballet has that ability to give structure 477 00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:16,600 Speaker 6: and kind of life for them outside of their lives, 478 00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:19,320 Speaker 6: the lives that they've had, and we know that after 479 00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:23,040 Speaker 6: school programming in particular, you know, they often don't have 480 00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:24,120 Speaker 6: that opportunity. 481 00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:28,560 Speaker 1: There's so much about that that I love. First off, 482 00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:33,360 Speaker 1: the fact that the Misty you talked about the experience 483 00:29:33,400 --> 00:29:39,000 Speaker 1: that you had and going into this ballet class and 484 00:29:39,480 --> 00:29:41,920 Speaker 1: trying to get a hold of the chaos in your 485 00:29:41,960 --> 00:29:48,360 Speaker 1: life and feeling that. I also think that I feel 486 00:29:48,400 --> 00:29:52,040 Speaker 1: like we don't even really have had We haven't even 487 00:29:52,120 --> 00:29:55,040 Speaker 1: quite reckoned with what COVID must have been like for 488 00:29:56,360 --> 00:30:02,520 Speaker 1: children and or can used to bay or whatever. My 489 00:30:02,560 --> 00:30:06,600 Speaker 1: brother's got God right now, you know, I don't know. 490 00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:12,360 Speaker 1: I I think that the it is so so interesting 491 00:30:12,360 --> 00:30:15,600 Speaker 1: to focus on on on that what that trauma is 492 00:30:15,680 --> 00:30:21,800 Speaker 1: and and having to deal with it, but also not 493 00:30:21,800 --> 00:30:24,520 Speaker 1: not just doing the dancing, but coming in and talking 494 00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:27,240 Speaker 1: about you know what, what what's going on for you 495 00:30:27,280 --> 00:30:29,520 Speaker 1: and what you want to do with that day. It's 496 00:30:29,600 --> 00:30:32,920 Speaker 1: it's all great. And I love the idea that there's 497 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:37,440 Speaker 1: a live musician because you know, there's nothing you could 498 00:30:37,480 --> 00:30:42,000 Speaker 1: put on the best recording of an African drama and 499 00:30:42,080 --> 00:30:45,040 Speaker 1: it's just not going to be the same as the 500 00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:48,280 Speaker 1: way it feels to see someone hitting that thing in 501 00:30:48,320 --> 00:30:51,160 Speaker 1: the in the room. I mean, I think that's really 502 00:30:51,280 --> 00:30:54,120 Speaker 1: that sounds great. How do you how do you where 503 00:30:54,120 --> 00:30:56,960 Speaker 1: do you put these schools? How do you find the schools? 504 00:30:57,360 --> 00:30:59,160 Speaker 1: How does it spread? 505 00:30:59,840 --> 00:31:02,680 Speaker 6: Well, you know, we started because Misty started at Boys 506 00:31:02,680 --> 00:31:06,560 Speaker 6: and Girls Club and has a relationship continuing relationship with them. 507 00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:09,440 Speaker 6: We started at Boys and Girls clubs in the Bronx 508 00:31:09,560 --> 00:31:14,479 Speaker 6: and in Harlem because they had the children they already 509 00:31:14,480 --> 00:31:17,280 Speaker 6: had after school. They often had the facility like a 510 00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:20,440 Speaker 6: dance studio that we could use and sometimes they even 511 00:31:20,480 --> 00:31:24,200 Speaker 6: had teaching artists that we can employ as well. So 512 00:31:24,360 --> 00:31:26,880 Speaker 6: that was the beginning of it and now in the 513 00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:29,880 Speaker 6: spring we had about set We're in seven sites now 514 00:31:29,960 --> 00:31:33,120 Speaker 6: this fall we're going to be in fourteen sites. So 515 00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:37,880 Speaker 6: we've grown kind of quickly, been in a very organic 516 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:42,480 Speaker 6: and wonderful way, and through our network of we've been 517 00:31:42,520 --> 00:31:49,239 Speaker 6: advisory council of dance professionals, dance teachers, people who we 518 00:31:49,320 --> 00:31:52,760 Speaker 6: could go to in order to find these teaching artists, 519 00:31:53,360 --> 00:31:56,640 Speaker 6: and that's been the most amazing thing to be able 520 00:31:56,680 --> 00:32:00,240 Speaker 6: to grow it pretty quickly. One of the other things 521 00:32:00,280 --> 00:32:02,800 Speaker 6: that we found was that we needed it in the spring, 522 00:32:02,840 --> 00:32:05,200 Speaker 6: we found that we needed it to be more ballet focused, 523 00:32:05,680 --> 00:32:09,200 Speaker 6: and Nisty really thought that was important. So the way 524 00:32:09,240 --> 00:32:12,080 Speaker 6: the framework is set up now it's more ballet focused 525 00:32:12,200 --> 00:32:17,320 Speaker 6: instead of movement, but it also continues to be impactful. 526 00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:21,040 Speaker 6: So the developmental psychologist has done an impact study for 527 00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:24,000 Speaker 6: us already so that we can see what we're doing 528 00:32:24,080 --> 00:32:26,960 Speaker 6: right and what we need to improve. And one of 529 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:29,600 Speaker 6: the things that we need to we're hoping to improve 530 00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:33,160 Speaker 6: is to get more boys involved in the program, which 531 00:32:33,200 --> 00:32:37,200 Speaker 6: you can imagine at the beginning of each session, the 532 00:32:37,280 --> 00:32:41,160 Speaker 6: program director, Cindy Folgar and I we go to each 533 00:32:41,240 --> 00:32:44,000 Speaker 6: site and talk to the caregivers so we get some 534 00:32:44,080 --> 00:32:46,800 Speaker 6: buy in so they understand what we're doing because often 535 00:32:47,360 --> 00:32:49,920 Speaker 6: you can imagine like ballet, what does that mean to 536 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:52,680 Speaker 6: a lot of people in the community and certainly to boys. 537 00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:56,800 Speaker 6: But we were really lucky that this fall in our training. 538 00:32:56,840 --> 00:32:58,640 Speaker 6: We just did a three day training for our new 539 00:32:58,680 --> 00:33:02,920 Speaker 6: teaching artist. We have six men of color, which is amazing, 540 00:33:03,400 --> 00:33:06,440 Speaker 6: which means that we can have more outreach, hopefully for 541 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:09,720 Speaker 6: boys in the community and just a way to explain 542 00:33:09,760 --> 00:33:12,160 Speaker 6: to them. When you're talking about Eli Manning, there's so 543 00:33:12,320 --> 00:33:16,479 Speaker 6: many I was just talking to Alan Houston, who's former 544 00:33:16,520 --> 00:33:20,200 Speaker 6: basketball player, one of his philanthropic people. 545 00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:20,640 Speaker 4: Yeah. 546 00:33:21,120 --> 00:33:23,240 Speaker 6: Well, I don't know if anyone everyone in your audience, 547 00:33:23,360 --> 00:33:28,760 Speaker 6: Oh good, good, good, But but we were talking about 548 00:33:28,840 --> 00:33:33,480 Speaker 6: how athletes, professional athletes really use ballet often and it's 549 00:33:33,520 --> 00:33:37,280 Speaker 6: something that it's important for, you know, young kids to understand. 550 00:33:37,280 --> 00:33:38,880 Speaker 6: So it's just a way to buy and for them 551 00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:43,160 Speaker 6: to understand their There are avenues too out for outreach 552 00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:44,400 Speaker 6: in a lot of different ways. 553 00:33:44,400 --> 00:33:45,200 Speaker 1: So it's the music. 554 00:33:45,400 --> 00:33:46,760 Speaker 3: It's a lot of different things. 555 00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:50,000 Speaker 1: That's great. I love that this is This is sounds 556 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:52,640 Speaker 1: like such a such a such a great program. Were 557 00:33:52,640 --> 00:33:55,320 Speaker 1: you a dancer? How did you get involved? Did you 558 00:33:55,560 --> 00:33:56,120 Speaker 1: know each other? 559 00:33:57,160 --> 00:34:00,160 Speaker 6: No? We it's we feel like I feel like I've 560 00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:02,680 Speaker 6: known her for whatever, and we've only known each other 561 00:34:02,720 --> 00:34:04,959 Speaker 6: for about six months. I've only been working at the foundation. 562 00:34:05,120 --> 00:34:06,600 Speaker 3: It's only been six months. 563 00:34:06,600 --> 00:34:08,479 Speaker 2: Oh my gosh, it feels like a long time. 564 00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:10,279 Speaker 3: Yeah. 565 00:34:10,360 --> 00:34:14,160 Speaker 6: Yeah. I was at Alvin Ailey before starting with Misty, 566 00:34:14,480 --> 00:34:17,880 Speaker 6: so I was there for eight years, which is an 567 00:34:17,880 --> 00:34:21,480 Speaker 6: amazing place. And actually my son when you talk about 568 00:34:21,480 --> 00:34:24,600 Speaker 6: going a wedding, my son danced at a Ley before 569 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:25,680 Speaker 6: I worked there. 570 00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:29,360 Speaker 1: Oh wow, wow, yeah, okay, yeah, it was. 571 00:34:29,520 --> 00:34:33,120 Speaker 2: It was, you know, really important for me to to 572 00:34:33,280 --> 00:34:36,960 Speaker 2: find a team that was diverse, and it was really 573 00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:39,480 Speaker 2: important that I had a CEO, you know, an executive 574 00:34:39,480 --> 00:34:42,920 Speaker 2: director that was there was a woman of color, and 575 00:34:43,400 --> 00:34:46,759 Speaker 2: to find Carr. I mean, everyone at Alvin a Lee 576 00:34:46,760 --> 00:34:48,279 Speaker 2: comes up to me and they're like, why did you 577 00:34:48,400 --> 00:34:53,359 Speaker 2: take her from us? And I'm like, sorry, guys, we're 578 00:34:53,400 --> 00:34:57,640 Speaker 2: doing we're doing important work too. But you know, it's 579 00:34:57,640 --> 00:35:01,640 Speaker 2: really important that the people that the children are seeing 580 00:35:02,440 --> 00:35:04,880 Speaker 2: that they can see themselves through through the people that 581 00:35:04,920 --> 00:35:09,320 Speaker 2: are in these leadership positions. And you know, in starting 582 00:35:09,360 --> 00:35:13,120 Speaker 2: this program, it's like I wanted to take again what 583 00:35:13,160 --> 00:35:15,239 Speaker 2: I was saying earlier, like ballet at its core and 584 00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:20,040 Speaker 2: all the incredible elements of it and strip away all 585 00:35:20,120 --> 00:35:25,000 Speaker 2: of the other stuff that has created, i think even 586 00:35:25,120 --> 00:35:27,840 Speaker 2: just in like film and media and television, this negative 587 00:35:27,840 --> 00:35:31,200 Speaker 2: connotation and these negative tropes about what it is and 588 00:35:31,280 --> 00:35:34,080 Speaker 2: get back to what it can do for a human 589 00:35:34,080 --> 00:35:35,840 Speaker 2: being and what it can do for a child and 590 00:35:35,880 --> 00:35:39,960 Speaker 2: what it did for me. And so you know, it's 591 00:35:40,000 --> 00:35:43,239 Speaker 2: important that we built a framework that made sense for 592 00:35:43,280 --> 00:35:46,520 Speaker 2: these communities. So we're not bringing this traditional European art 593 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:49,680 Speaker 2: form into these black and brown communities, but we're creating 594 00:35:49,719 --> 00:35:53,080 Speaker 2: it and really curating it for them. So it's music, 595 00:35:53,120 --> 00:35:56,319 Speaker 2: it's musicians, it's teaching artists to look like them. It's 596 00:35:56,400 --> 00:35:59,640 Speaker 2: talking about the history, the black and brown history that 597 00:35:59,680 --> 00:36:02,160 Speaker 2: we're not taught in, that we don't see in ballet 598 00:36:02,280 --> 00:36:05,560 Speaker 2: history books, so that these dancers can say like, oh, 599 00:36:05,600 --> 00:36:07,920 Speaker 2: there have been people that look like me who do this. 600 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:10,600 Speaker 2: There have been men, there have been black men that 601 00:36:10,800 --> 00:36:14,440 Speaker 2: have done this and have been successful. So all of 602 00:36:14,480 --> 00:36:18,000 Speaker 2: those elements were really important, and in the end, it 603 00:36:18,080 --> 00:36:20,640 Speaker 2: was like, we need to make this fun because again 604 00:36:20,719 --> 00:36:23,560 Speaker 2: it's like this this idea that ballet is boring and 605 00:36:23,640 --> 00:36:27,359 Speaker 2: ballet is slow, and getting back to like using this 606 00:36:27,520 --> 00:36:31,240 Speaker 2: technique and bringing people together in a community through movement 607 00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:35,000 Speaker 2: and making it fun for them. 608 00:36:34,320 --> 00:36:39,879 Speaker 1: That's that's fantastic you mentioned, and I'm curious about this 609 00:36:40,040 --> 00:36:46,920 Speaker 1: that you have learned or decided to slide the program 610 00:36:47,080 --> 00:36:50,680 Speaker 1: a little bit away from just movement and more towards ballet. 611 00:36:50,840 --> 00:36:53,480 Speaker 1: So I'm just curious about that specifically. 612 00:36:54,120 --> 00:36:58,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, initially when we started out, we partnered 613 00:36:58,080 --> 00:37:02,720 Speaker 2: up with an incredible organization called India, the National Dance 614 00:37:02,800 --> 00:37:09,200 Speaker 2: Institute that was founded by former principal dancer of New 615 00:37:09,280 --> 00:37:14,440 Speaker 2: York City Ballet, Jacques dem Bois, and he really created 616 00:37:14,480 --> 00:37:18,680 Speaker 2: this incredible fun way of introducing dance to kids in 617 00:37:18,760 --> 00:37:23,000 Speaker 2: school in this incredible fun way and an amazing structure. 618 00:37:23,040 --> 00:37:24,480 Speaker 3: And so I went to them and I was like, 619 00:37:24,520 --> 00:37:26,000 Speaker 3: how do we do this with ballet? 620 00:37:26,640 --> 00:37:30,320 Speaker 2: And you know, in our in our first you know, pilot, 621 00:37:31,640 --> 00:37:35,400 Speaker 2: it was definitely kind of thin on the ballet and 622 00:37:35,480 --> 00:37:38,080 Speaker 2: much more about creating this fun movement environment. 623 00:37:38,640 --> 00:37:40,400 Speaker 3: And you know, once. 624 00:37:40,239 --> 00:37:44,960 Speaker 2: I saw it on several classes, I realized that we 625 00:37:45,080 --> 00:37:48,919 Speaker 2: could still have that concept, but to insert a little 626 00:37:48,920 --> 00:37:52,520 Speaker 2: bit more structure of the ballet technique so that if 627 00:37:52,560 --> 00:37:55,640 Speaker 2: these dancers, any of them, wanted to go on and 628 00:37:55,719 --> 00:37:58,160 Speaker 2: go into a school, a professional school, they would have 629 00:37:58,239 --> 00:38:03,319 Speaker 2: a really legitimate ballet base to work from, so that 630 00:38:03,400 --> 00:38:05,480 Speaker 2: it wasn't you know that they were saying, oh, I 631 00:38:05,600 --> 00:38:07,920 Speaker 2: was in this ballet class, and their Misty copelit, and 632 00:38:07,920 --> 00:38:11,160 Speaker 2: then they don't really have any any real language and 633 00:38:11,360 --> 00:38:15,520 Speaker 2: idea of the technique. And and we've found that we 634 00:38:15,640 --> 00:38:18,880 Speaker 2: can combine all of those things. It's amazing what we 635 00:38:18,920 --> 00:38:20,560 Speaker 2: can fit in in an hour as well. 636 00:38:21,840 --> 00:38:25,200 Speaker 1: Let me ask you both this, what is it about, uh, 637 00:38:25,719 --> 00:38:33,319 Speaker 1: you know, reaching out two kids to give them uh uh, 638 00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:37,240 Speaker 1: this kind of these kinds of outlets, to to mentor 639 00:38:37,480 --> 00:38:40,839 Speaker 1: to give them an opportunity to do something outside of 640 00:38:40,880 --> 00:38:43,880 Speaker 1: what what their their life or their environment. What is 641 00:38:43,920 --> 00:38:48,040 Speaker 1: it that you think was in both of your upbringings 642 00:38:48,120 --> 00:38:50,799 Speaker 1: that kind of steered you towards wanting to do this 643 00:38:51,080 --> 00:38:54,520 Speaker 1: kind of work? Karen, Karen, I'll. 644 00:38:54,400 --> 00:39:01,959 Speaker 6: Start Yeah, no, no, go ahead, Karen, I have said 645 00:39:01,960 --> 00:39:04,680 Speaker 6: to Misty when I got this job. I have had 646 00:39:05,160 --> 00:39:09,439 Speaker 6: very a varied career. I started out film production, and 647 00:39:10,280 --> 00:39:12,000 Speaker 6: I actually like my first. 648 00:39:11,760 --> 00:39:15,279 Speaker 3: Major movie was uh, Spike Lee's Malcolm X. 649 00:39:15,400 --> 00:39:16,560 Speaker 6: And I was a production. 650 00:39:16,360 --> 00:39:19,680 Speaker 1: Coordinator, So auspicious beginning. 651 00:39:20,719 --> 00:39:25,520 Speaker 6: Yeah, Well, I worked a paramount for a few years before, 652 00:39:25,560 --> 00:39:27,399 Speaker 6: but that was my first production cordator job. 653 00:39:27,719 --> 00:39:28,000 Speaker 1: Wow. 654 00:39:28,280 --> 00:39:31,920 Speaker 6: But to have the uh to have the experience of 655 00:39:31,960 --> 00:39:35,080 Speaker 6: working in the film, and especially when I was in 656 00:39:35,120 --> 00:39:37,960 Speaker 6: it at that time for women, it was very challenging 657 00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:42,160 Speaker 6: and to be a person of color and then ending 658 00:39:42,280 --> 00:39:48,000 Speaker 6: up going into fundraising and ultimately ending up with Nisty 659 00:39:48,120 --> 00:39:49,319 Speaker 6: and this foundation. 660 00:39:50,280 --> 00:39:52,440 Speaker 3: To me, it was it's it's a. 661 00:39:52,520 --> 00:39:56,480 Speaker 6: Huge thing to be able to give children this idea 662 00:39:56,680 --> 00:39:59,719 Speaker 6: that there are things that you can do outside of 663 00:39:59,760 --> 00:40:02,520 Speaker 6: your world. We're going to show you what that looks like, 664 00:40:03,120 --> 00:40:05,480 Speaker 6: and that we can really open up a world for 665 00:40:05,520 --> 00:40:08,200 Speaker 6: them that they wouldn't have And I feel like that 666 00:40:08,360 --> 00:40:10,800 Speaker 6: is so important. That's so meaningful when you go in 667 00:40:10,800 --> 00:40:15,760 Speaker 6: today's classes and we haven't only been teaching them about dance, 668 00:40:15,880 --> 00:40:19,160 Speaker 6: but we've started getting tickets for different things, for them 669 00:40:19,160 --> 00:40:21,840 Speaker 6: to have the opportunities with their families to go see 670 00:40:21,880 --> 00:40:25,360 Speaker 6: different performances and to get out in the wide, wider world, 671 00:40:25,760 --> 00:40:29,160 Speaker 6: which I think for so many kids coming from where 672 00:40:29,239 --> 00:40:32,000 Speaker 6: they come from, it's really important. 673 00:40:32,600 --> 00:40:32,840 Speaker 1: Love that. 674 00:40:34,280 --> 00:40:37,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean I've been on the receiving end of 675 00:40:37,560 --> 00:40:43,040 Speaker 2: that for you know, so much of my childhood in 676 00:40:43,160 --> 00:40:46,279 Speaker 2: terms of like having teachers that invested in me and 677 00:40:46,719 --> 00:40:49,560 Speaker 2: what it's done for me, and so it's it's like 678 00:40:49,600 --> 00:40:52,279 Speaker 2: a no brainer. It's like, oh, I need to do this, 679 00:40:52,440 --> 00:40:54,919 Speaker 2: Like I've had that experience and I've seen what it's 680 00:40:55,040 --> 00:40:58,959 Speaker 2: done for me, and I feel like I've been given 681 00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:03,960 Speaker 2: this opportunity and this platform in order to go back 682 00:41:04,000 --> 00:41:08,040 Speaker 2: into these communities and give them what I've learned and 683 00:41:08,040 --> 00:41:13,400 Speaker 2: what I've experienced. And yeah, it's just again, it's like 684 00:41:13,640 --> 00:41:18,080 Speaker 2: a no brainer to be able to continue that cycle 685 00:41:19,280 --> 00:41:22,200 Speaker 2: because of all the incredible things I've gained by being 686 00:41:22,239 --> 00:41:26,400 Speaker 2: exposed to this art form and having incredible teachers and 687 00:41:26,480 --> 00:41:27,680 Speaker 2: mentors along the way. 688 00:41:28,680 --> 00:41:31,239 Speaker 1: That's awesome. I love that, you know. It's funny. I 689 00:41:31,280 --> 00:41:33,200 Speaker 1: hadn't even thought about this when I was getting ready 690 00:41:33,239 --> 00:41:38,920 Speaker 1: for this episode. But when I was a kid, well 691 00:41:38,920 --> 00:41:43,400 Speaker 1: it was probably about the probably about fourteen or fifteen, 692 00:41:44,880 --> 00:41:49,239 Speaker 1: I got a summer scholarship to this thing called the 693 00:41:49,280 --> 00:41:53,360 Speaker 1: Pennsylvania Governor School for the Arts, where you auditioned and 694 00:41:53,400 --> 00:41:57,120 Speaker 1: then you went out to this you know thing for 695 00:41:57,160 --> 00:41:59,239 Speaker 1: a few weeks in the summer you could study art. 696 00:41:59,280 --> 00:42:01,520 Speaker 1: And one of the one of the arts they had 697 00:42:02,520 --> 00:42:04,359 Speaker 1: was they had music and they had acting, of course, 698 00:42:04,360 --> 00:42:06,400 Speaker 1: I was there for the acting and one of the 699 00:42:06,520 --> 00:42:12,440 Speaker 1: arts they had was ballet, and I made friends with 700 00:42:12,520 --> 00:42:15,799 Speaker 1: this kid who was a ballet dancer. In fact, I 701 00:42:15,880 --> 00:42:19,760 Speaker 1: think that summer he decided to become a ballet dancer. 702 00:42:19,800 --> 00:42:22,000 Speaker 1: I don't think he'd ever done it. He was he 703 00:42:22,040 --> 00:42:26,239 Speaker 1: was an athlete, and you know, and just like took 704 00:42:26,320 --> 00:42:30,759 Speaker 1: to it. And he got a scholarship to the Pennsylvania 705 00:42:30,800 --> 00:42:37,759 Speaker 1: Ballet and came back and lived in my house. My mom. 706 00:42:37,920 --> 00:42:40,120 Speaker 1: My mom took him in and he lived in my 707 00:42:40,239 --> 00:42:44,920 Speaker 1: house for that entire year while he studied at the 708 00:42:44,960 --> 00:42:47,560 Speaker 1: Pennsylvania Ballet. And I hadn't really thought about this, but 709 00:42:48,320 --> 00:42:53,760 Speaker 1: you know, I think up to that point, I hadn't 710 00:42:54,040 --> 00:42:57,200 Speaker 1: really thought of that. You know, I kind of thought 711 00:42:57,200 --> 00:42:59,279 Speaker 1: of it as something that girls do basically, you know 712 00:42:59,280 --> 00:43:00,960 Speaker 1: what I mean, you know, that's that was that's kind 713 00:43:00,960 --> 00:43:03,640 Speaker 1: of the thing. I mean, you were mentioning not only 714 00:43:03,680 --> 00:43:07,359 Speaker 1: having uh men, but but men of color be there 715 00:43:07,480 --> 00:43:10,520 Speaker 1: and and be visible and and and you know, be 716 00:43:10,600 --> 00:43:14,839 Speaker 1: seen and with all that strength and grace and you know, 717 00:43:15,680 --> 00:43:20,960 Speaker 1: and and it really did actually it was pretty it was. 718 00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:24,640 Speaker 1: It kind of you know, stuck with me. And and 719 00:43:24,800 --> 00:43:28,600 Speaker 1: I think it in some ways, you know, probably adjusted 720 00:43:28,640 --> 00:43:31,920 Speaker 1: my ideas of what what a dance is or what 721 00:43:31,960 --> 00:43:33,719 Speaker 1: a dancer is. I didn't know anything about ballet. I 722 00:43:33,760 --> 00:43:37,360 Speaker 1: mean I to me, ballet was you know, just not 723 00:43:37,520 --> 00:43:41,600 Speaker 1: something that was on my radar me. But but that's 724 00:43:41,960 --> 00:43:43,960 Speaker 1: that's that's great that you guys are doing that. I 725 00:43:43,960 --> 00:43:47,320 Speaker 1: think it sounds like a fantastic program. How can people 726 00:43:47,640 --> 00:43:50,120 Speaker 1: learn about it or reach out or or or help 727 00:43:50,320 --> 00:43:52,560 Speaker 1: you know, this is this is the moment for the 728 00:43:52,560 --> 00:43:54,680 Speaker 1: call to action to go to. 729 00:43:54,640 --> 00:43:57,759 Speaker 6: Our website and you can read more, learn a little 730 00:43:57,760 --> 00:44:02,200 Speaker 6: more about or contact if you want to learn more. 731 00:44:02,680 --> 00:44:04,400 Speaker 6: Come to see a class, Kevin. 732 00:44:04,400 --> 00:44:06,160 Speaker 3: We love to have you come and see a class. 733 00:44:06,239 --> 00:44:07,919 Speaker 1: I would love to come see a class. I really 734 00:44:07,960 --> 00:44:09,239 Speaker 1: would honestly, Oh my. 735 00:44:09,160 --> 00:44:10,080 Speaker 3: Gosh, we would love that. 736 00:44:10,480 --> 00:44:10,680 Speaker 1: Yeah. 737 00:44:11,040 --> 00:44:15,919 Speaker 2: Follow us on Instagram as well, Missy Copeland Foundation, Right, 738 00:44:17,239 --> 00:44:17,879 Speaker 2: that would be fun. 739 00:44:17,920 --> 00:44:19,839 Speaker 1: I was wondering if you ever had people come check 740 00:44:19,880 --> 00:44:20,200 Speaker 1: it out. 741 00:44:20,840 --> 00:44:24,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, we have guests, so it would be awesome to 742 00:44:24,920 --> 00:44:25,440 Speaker 2: yeah to. 743 00:44:25,960 --> 00:44:28,520 Speaker 1: Have you all right, just don't expect me to show 744 00:44:28,600 --> 00:44:32,600 Speaker 1: anybody any moves. That ship is sale. 745 00:44:32,640 --> 00:44:33,440 Speaker 4: I don't know. 746 00:44:35,040 --> 00:44:38,680 Speaker 1: Right down to all right, Thank you guys so much, 747 00:44:38,800 --> 00:44:40,719 Speaker 1: thanks for being here. It's great talking with you. 748 00:44:42,239 --> 00:44:45,160 Speaker 3: Thank you so much for your time. It's been fantastic. 749 00:44:45,239 --> 00:44:45,600 Speaker 2: Thank you. 750 00:44:48,800 --> 00:44:51,439 Speaker 1: Hey, guys, thanks for listening to another episode of Six 751 00:44:51,480 --> 00:44:54,360 Speaker 1: Degrees with Kevin Bacon. If you want to learn more 752 00:44:54,640 --> 00:44:58,200 Speaker 1: about the Misty Copeland Foundation and all the work that 753 00:44:58,280 --> 00:45:01,400 Speaker 1: they are up to, head over to their website Misty 754 00:45:01,520 --> 00:45:07,919 Speaker 1: Copelandfoundation dot org. Mistycopeland Foundation dot org. You define all 755 00:45:08,000 --> 00:45:10,400 Speaker 1: the links in our show notes. If you like what 756 00:45:10,520 --> 00:45:13,960 Speaker 1: you hear, make sure you subscribe to the show. To 757 00:45:14,080 --> 00:45:16,600 Speaker 1: this show, tune into the rest of our episodes. I 758 00:45:16,600 --> 00:45:19,120 Speaker 1: think you're gonna like them. You can find Six Degrees 759 00:45:19,160 --> 00:45:24,560 Speaker 1: with Kevin Bacon on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 760 00:45:24,640 --> 00:45:27,319 Speaker 1: get your podcasts. I'll see you next time.