theyre not calling her lazy as in lazy like she doesnt do her bed in the morning. it's more of like the way she does the ballet, the lack of emotion, the lack of try. some of the variations she dances to is like... watching an aspiring dancer who isnt trained in ballet trying to dance ballet, the sloppy steps. thats what they meant by lazy.

she's a principal ballet dancer, not an amateur. the audience is expecting to be blown away, not to look at an improv because the dancer refuses to do steps. yes maybe she's tired but that's the very point of it. especially her in swan lake. zenaida in rehearsals did her 34 fouettes till she collapsed. if you can't do it, someone else deserves the role, principal dancer or not. shes an inspiration i guess and i respect her for that.

"Lazy" is a universal and timeless stereotype in minstrelsy, and should not be used. She's just a soloist, not a principal, not a prima ballerina, etc. I feel that ABT is unfairly using her, so they can get diversity points at her expense. Also, inhabiting Odette is the point of Swan Lake, not the 32 fouettes in the third act. She doesn't have it for either. We can be thankful that she is not trying to do Balanchine.

@@LeCanalBarbaraAnne But there are way better black ballerinas out there. I don’t understand why ABT doesn’t pick one of the better black ballerinas for diversity points.

@@mariaellis2882 They should not have to do anything to diversify, actually. You just pick the best man for the job, and know that anytime and anywhere, that person could be black. I feel ABT does not realize the statement it is making by picking an unqualified dancer to be principal. There are too many qualified ballerinas of all colors. What matters is to recognize the winner. There is a very good chance that dancer would be black. ABT being scared that this would not happen is the statement, and it does not move us forward.

Precious Adams is also very good

While I do not think she has the skill, charisma, or musicality to be a principal dancer, she did dance at La Scala with Bolle. FWIW.

@@MariaMaltseva roberto bolle was with ABT at that time. He also always invited his ABT dancers to perform in Italy like julie kents, cory stearns, hee seo, isabella bolyston, danill simkin etc..so for misty to get a chance performing in la scala or italy wasnt a huge accomplishment at all.

@@hidayatosman4786 On the one hand, I agree with you. As a principal dancer with ABT she is worse than corps dancers at many companies. And to me that seems grossly unfair. One the other hand, dancing on that stage is an accomplishment in its own right, no matter how one gets there. And it is, of course, true that not nearly enough black people are interested in ballet, take the time to become professional, and so forth. Copeland did do this, despite starting late and not having family support. I wish that life were generally more fair to all of us. But that's a silly, hippy thought. As it stands, it's hard to balance Copeland's accomplishments vs. her (lack of) skill, and decide what "justice" really means in this scenario. I personally just don't know. What I do know is that I'm not interested in paying to see her dance, and that I watch her merely because it's amusing to see how badly one can dance yet still achieve prima ballerina status.

This is true

Maria, have you noticed that choreography is carefully tailored just for her and her alone? ABT creative team knows how LIMITED she is as a performer so they include minimal jumps, minimal fuettes and just minimal everything..and if that's not enough, I have seen her change dance steps in the middle of performance b/c she is unable to deliver..best example is Gizelle hops on pointe..she did 2 and gave up..outrageous 🤬

@KZfaq User especially when you see the performances of Michaela Deprince, she's a 22 year old soloist in Dutch National ballet, she already danced Myrtha, Swan lake PdT, the cygnet dance and she was recently training for Swanilda. She has a great talent, her jumps are amazing, and she had her place thanks to her great talent and hard work, and especially she is very humble, trying daily to improve. Deprince should have the place that was granted to Copeland.

@@Lalegendaire well she's not dancing in America where even mediocre is hyped up

"classroom center dancing" 💀

Totally agree

@@Lalegendaire I was watching Deprince in rehearsals. She is amazing! She really loves what she’s doing and took all the corrections. She is so grateful and humble.

Exactly

She doesn't skip over shit. She uses Contemporary and classical techniques mixed together. And obviously they give her permission to do that

@@empressraven Pray tell, what "contemporary techniques" is she using?

Although I get what you mean I don’t really think that’s the right analogy (as someone who was a professional ballet dancer) from what I can see, she’s trying to do everything as originally intended. She isn’t skipping anything on purpose and tries to get back into what she’s supposed to be doing. The issue is she doesn’t possess the technique to execute these things brilliantly or in some cases even passably...which for ABT is not fair to put her in that position or fair to those who would be able to do these works justice but are not given the opportunity.

@@emilyelyse luckily thats just your opinion and not the opinion of the experts or the ones that hire her

I can understand someone who has experience and isn't trying to hate, so thank you for going about it constructively.

Yes not by any means. She got the position over much more qualified dancers for publicity reasons. But she is currently retraining herself so hopefully she actually becomes principle material in the next couple of years.

Puff Ball shes 37 already thats a little too old to re train herself

​@@puffball4484is that how it works? Gaining a principal position by crying about being discriminated against etc, gaining the position, then having to retrain yourself to get up to snuff afterward? I just can't take it. And in the past 5 years, STILL no full length live performance mainstage video of her in any role that can be purchased. Still. Why? Because they don't want her to be seen embarrassing them. Every other principal has videos of them in full length roles. Ie swan lake etc... but she doesn't.

Thanks. Exactly!

Midoly B dead

oh, so ur a bitch. be constructive!

@@londonlouise9797 set the example

@@midolyb974 Oh, but being rude an insulting a hard working dancer is totally responsible, "MOM."

@@londonlouise9797 hard working? nah.... she just got the part because of her parents and because she loves to use the "race card"

ABT is not top company of the world...

@@Noname-ye1vg oh cmon, she said “one of the top companies”, and not that ABT is the top ballet company in the world, she simply meant that it is ONE of the leading ballet companies in the world...

@@Noname-ye1vg To be fair, I think she means ‘Top American company’, and they did have the amazing Diana Vishneva !

All these performances are terrible! As an avid ballet fan my whole life it still amazes me that she made Principal. And, I am not basing my opinion on her body type (which is terrible for classic ballet but would def work for modern). It's because watching her is like watching a 13 year old who just started pointe. I do not understand why so many people think she is worthy of the title of 'Prima Ballerina'.

When you can spell the word, then you can judge and post in judgement of somebody. But you are clearly just as bad as you claim she is and don't know what you're talking about because you don't know what the word is.

@Laura Streeter Susan has a book, it's called "10 brilliant tricks how to win every discussion" Trick nr.3: _Scan your opponent's words precisely. If you find an orthographic mistake, discredit your opponent's mental health, brain function or intelligence and break off the discussion immediately. Everybody will understand that._

@@susan9675 i think theyre trying to combine the two together lol cause misty improv'ed her fouttes...

Misty wishes she had Sylvie's feet. They aren't in the same league.

I've been at some performances when ABT comes to Costa Mesa where you can hear that the audience has come to see Misty Copeland even when she's not even performing that night. Meaning she brings in ticket holders who are not even ballet savvy enough to look up the casting list. What she might lack in dance she gives back to the company at the box office. It is what it is.

By “only the best dancers” I take it you mean dancers who had parents who were willing to pour tens of thousands of dollars into their lessons from age 3?

I only go to the ballet to watch the best. If I want to watch someone who can’t do al the steps, I can just look in the mirror at the studio.

Same with the Metropolitan Opera. They do what sells tickets. Thanks, capitalism.

I agree. We stopped going. After Vishneva left and Gomes was forced out, we gave it another chance. Simkin/Boylston in Don Quixote. Boylston the worst dancer. Technically so-so, performance/charisma/elegance 0. Tickets were so expensive we could have flown to London. LOL I think ABT is going down the woke rabbit hole.

Obviously the Kamala Harris of American ballet….

ugh, i cannot do Boylston. Her hands alone make me want to hurt someone.@@amialal4510

@@MrPft25 Thanks DEI and affirmative action.

@Laura Streeter She just pulled out of another appearance, La Slyphide in Italy. She was supposed to be dancing with Cornejo then as well. I think her body break down is accelerating. She has pushed herself too far. That steel rod in her leg was never meant to support a full career. She should have retired right after the surgery saved her leg. I feel bad for her. Due to her own need for adulation and people who fed into that need, she has destroyed herself. And they will continue to do so, squeezing every bit of money out of her until she can no longer walk.

@Laura Streeter Thank you! I saw bits of these clips awhile back. It's a shame, the company is filled with gorgeous dancers and all of them put on the back burner for drift swan. How does that happen? It just can't, unless it was deliberate. I saw Cassandra Trenary as Aurora last summer. She was fantastic. Sarah Lane was also wonderful. Both should be given a chance to dance Swan Lake. Sarah Lane rehearsing Florine kzfaq.info/get/bejne/abpni8yEuruYYWw.html

@Laura Streeter I don't give her credit for the books. She may be nice but I don't think there are too many brain cells firing off. No, she has a team behind her. And all of them dancing to Valentino Carlotti's (Mr. Skull and Bones) tune. ABT can cash off all they like. After Misty gets wheeled away in a wheelchair, there will be no company. This ship is going down and Misty is the Captain.

"Drift swan"? Perfect.

Yep, she said it. It was in some television interview I saw. When asked something to the effect of, "what makes you this good?" she replied, "my fouettes". It really shocked me to hear a dancer say that and that's why I've remembered it. Being around dance most of her life, she should know saying something like that is very contrary to the humility and modesty dancers are taught. (I'm a former dancer myself.) So, I figured if she had the moxie to say it, she must be good. Well, then I saw the video. Not sure if I can find the interview, but that doesn't mean I made it up. That's why I remember it so well, I cannot believe she said it either. I'm going to look around for the interview and post the link if I find it. If anyone else out there saw the same interview, please confirm.

You're basing her talent off of a single bad fouette clip. We can find clips from off days for every professional dancer, and that doesn't mean they aren't great.

@@MelissaAB17 OK fine, where are clips of her doing principal caliber fouettes?

ibuprofenPill There aren't any. And not because she isn't capable of it; she is generally disliked due to the current racism in the professional ballet world, so people only choose to post her "lazy" performances because if fuels their egos. Putting other people down can make us feel better about ourselves, so I understand where y'all are coming from. I'm not looking to start a fight. I just feel like this whole argument is very narrow-sighted. Sure, she isn't as consistent as the other company members, so I see where y'all are coming from. And she is also a fantastic dancer, and very capable and deserving of the title. We are entitled to each of our opinions, and I apologize if I offended you by stating mine. I will try to respect yours, even though I don't agree.

When I was dancing the women were required to do twice the amount of fouettés in rehearsal as was needed in performance. Often times they could knock out three times as many. Often I saw ballerinas turn over a hundred and they weren't even principals. When they got on stage 32 was a joke to them, a happy reprieve even. Never in my 12 years of professional dancing did I ever see a ballerina fail to do the required amount in performance. If Misty can do them, someone needs to post a video showing as such. Given all the controversy, I would think it would have already been done? I don't care if it's in rehearsal, just show me? I have one acid test: you can do them or you can't. Period. The second I see her doing 64 in a row, then I'll change my tune. At that point I'd indeed believe this video was just a "bad night". Now for a different topic. If you have studied formal dance at any time in your life, you know that humility is a major part of the profession. Never do you boast about your ability or compare yourself to others. You never even wear or carry around items with popular commercial labels. Back in the day I had a black Addidas gym bag and I spray-painted the white logo to blend in with the background. I can guarantee there are other dancers (at ABT and other companies) who share my opinion of Misty. To add insult to injury, she does publicity appearances and signs an endorsement deal! Now, someone not considered worthy of the position is cashing in. Talk about pouring fuel on the fire of resentment? That is totally contrary to everything most have been taught about how to comport yourself as a dancer. We're beholden to our art first, not our status. If she had the ability to back it up, that would be one thing. But from what I have (and haven't) seen, she doesn't. This has undoubtedly rubbed some folks the wrong way. Of course, no one in the business says anything. Fights and smack talking don't bode well in the culture. It's equally frustrating to have the race card played. Maybe there are some racist a-holes who have it out for her, but I'm not one of them. I think she's beautiful and has an equally wonderful personality. Finally, I have to acknowledge I have lost a bit of respect for ABT. It's my opinion their intention was promoting her for the purpose of exploiting her, but it totally backfired. Now they're in a pickle. They're suffering bad publicity from promoting a subpar dancer, but it would be even worse if they demoted her. The entire situation is very unfortunate.

@@vivianp3831 The more they try to hide real gold from God, the more brilliantly it shines. Sarah Lane turned into a ballet star this season, even as they tried to bury her.

I saw her yesterday and they replaced the fouettes with a series of pique turns and pirouettes going around the stage. I personally thought it looked better than the fouettes to be honest

@@souperpie8466 Well the dumbed down choreography makes her poor skills look better. But it does nothing for the ballet. The fouettes are a symbolic representation of just how sexy and powerful Odile is to the Prince. It is that show of strength and force that convinces him she is the one for him. I want you to seek out video of the best dancers doing this variation and how they attack the fouettes. Then come back and watch Copeland hobbling around. Then tell me why you think she compares with the best and that the fouettes aren't needed in this ballet. Start with Gillian Murphy.

@@kerrytakashi12 Agreed on Gillian Murphy. I still watch the one that was broadcasted a loooong time ago, with Angel Corella and Marcelo Gomes.

@@souperpie8466 doesn't matter. Tibet's no company in the world where you'd get to play the lead in Swan Lake and not be able to do the 32 fouettes!

Are you also suggesting that Andrea Bocelli is only famous because he is a blind opera singer or because he is genuinely talented? Like anything in life, we all have our favorites and preferences, but suggesting that she is only popular because of her race is ignorant. Also, ballet dancers are usually rehearsing all day even the day of a performance, so she might be battling an injury that you know nothing about. It's really in poor taste to create a clip entitled "cringeworthy performances". I mean really. Her platform is part of her legacy, and it's an amazing thing.

J. K. It’s not ignorant. It’s facts.

I'm really surprised the conductor didn't try to help her out. Considering Copeland can do no wrong with the AD and Board or ABT. Last year, I saw 2 conductors intentionally trying to throw the tempo off on two of the more accomplished ballerinas in the company. One dancer totally ignored the tempo change and kept to the correct meter. The conductor was forced to comply. (Pssst, the lovely Brandt!).

Your point is valid. The first ballet I ever went to was to see Misty in 2011 at the Met. Then I became curious about opera. Now I enjoy both

"Actually, many people enjoy ballet without really knowing what is just ok and what is exceptional." This to me is a tragedy. It is not ok to accept this, even though it does describe most people, and theatres must sell tickets. But this sentiment confines everyone to the jail of being a suburban Saturday matineé crowd, who leaves before the end of the ballet to get to their cars. Someone has to say that this is not acceptable -- that an audience must be better than that. You must know what is exceptional, anywhere, in anything. I don't know how to live without being able to tell the difference. What did Socrates say? "The unexamined life...

"many people enjoy ballet without really knowing what is just ok and what is exceptional. Ballet will not survive unless it continues to attract new audience members. " That is neither true or logical. If you think for even just 5 seconds, you can know that is absurd 😂.

these just werent her best proformances...everyone has them, in my opinion she is a very good dancer and insparation

@@me-do2vo lol no a PRINCIPAL dancer shouldnt be making this many idiotic mistakes

I wouldn’t go that far. But ability wise she’s a soloist at a moderately prestigious company and corps at a more prestigious one. She’s not principal material

Indeed!

1 - She began training too late, after her bones finished their growth and hardened. This makes some of the positions a bit harder for her than dancers who started training before the age of 8. 3 - She was put on pointe only 3 months after beginning training. This means she didn't even have time to learn basic positions and technique because she was then learning pointe work which adds its own technique ON TOP of the basics. 2 - She suffers from severe hyper-extension in the knees. The weight of the dancers should be supported throughout the leg. Because she is hyper extended, this throws her balance off the leg. She compensated for this by bracing in the thighs. This the main reason why she can't hold extensions, hop on pointe, pirouette with ease much less perform fouettes. The dancer needs muscular control through the whole leg. She is not on the leg, she is bracing the thigh which is why she is stiff, imbalanced and shaky. 3 - Because she is totally focused on staying aloft on legs that are constantly off balance due to malformed legs, she has neglected her upper body epaulement and port de bras. Everything up on top is an afterthought for her and she frequently looks awkward, unrehearsed and amateur. That is just the beginning. There is more, much, much more.

Ari Colston-Johnson Frankly, I wouldn't ask that question on KZfaq. Ask a pro, a master. We all know the ballet world is cut-throat, so most anyone you ask that question of us going to bitch about all her faults. All I know is it’s her name in lights, not yours.

@@hummingnectarbird Other professional dancers will not speak up because they will raked through the coals by Copeland and her PR team. They WANT other dancers to make statements. Not only would it turn Copeland into a "victim of racism" again, but it would divert attention away from her awful dancing. Copeland made it known by public inference threat. Watch her own documentary. At mark 44:18, Copeland outright states that she knows other Principal dancers are not happy with her presence and that they think she got to her position via publicity. I don't know about you, but if I were another dancer I would hear that statement as a threat. Would I really want to stand up against Copeland, her PR team and ALL mass media (they all push Copeland), as well as probably being dragged into court? NO. So you won't hear a naysay from one professional because they want their careers not be dragged around by the Copeland Circus Circus freak sideshow.

@@hummingnectarbird your Misty is the big mistery of american culture, she is not principal for all the world, do svidania

@@kerrytakashi12 Thank you

how silly is this? She is amazing and id like to se you even try a plie

Alistair Fraser please watch closely Misty’s Princess Florine in Blue Bird. Misty was doing her solo part with hop on pointe, her foot was improperly placed during the hops then the camera cut away to show her sponsor in attempt to cover up a disaster.

How did she get through Aurora in Sydney? dancelines.com.au/whoops-whistles-misty-brings-house/ She couldn't keep her balance at 0:05 for a second. How did she get through the Rose Adagio?

I doubt she did. The media is controlled by global handlers who push huge narratives to brainwash the public. The "reporters" only report what the handlers want reported. One of these stories is diversity. They push for an actor (in this case Copeland) to fight this imaginary wrong for DIVERSITY! Ever notice how these diversity recipients (no matter what skin color) are never very good at what they do? This is deliberate. It creates a dissonant dichotomy in the brains of the public. On one hand they want to right this imaginary wrong and support the downtrodden "actor". On the other hand, they know (however much they try to ignore it) that the recipient is unworthy of reward. It causes mental meltdown. The people who see this clearly can not break through this deliberate Yes/No dialectic and inadvertently confirm the "racism" or whatever "ism" the narrative is pushing. Why is this done? To destroy art, creativity and self worth. Black people are being taught to think that mediocrity is the best they can do. Even when there are hundreds of truly fabulous black dancers out there in many different ballet companies. Do they know the names of these fantastic dancers? NOPE. They only know Misty and think that her stumble bumbles are nothing and we are all elitist racists. On the other hand, the people who see the degradation of art are left feeling depressed and helpless to stop the disintegration. The handlers already destroyed music and painting. Copeland is the first shot across the bow for Ballet. The rest of the dance world will be similarly attacked in the future.

Kerry Takashi I came across a review buy one Deborah Jones which you can find yourself. It's amazing how these people bend over backwards to excuse her. Jones basically fudged and stammered and all but admitted that her technique was subpar. But she didn't come out and say that the audience had been cheated. BTW, this was not with ABT in Australia but with the Australian Ballet.

Sorry, I don't agree with any of this, but you're entitled to your opinion. I'm outta here.

You don't have to agree. It exists. Art across all disciplines is being destroyed deliberately. Copeland is the future of ballet. I've already had someone tell me that affirmative action is needed in ballet on a popular ballet forum. This will all keep up because no one will stand up against the full lie. You can see that she is not trained enough to hold her position. The ones pushing her KNOW THE SAME THING! If they were truly interested in talent and black representation in ballet, Courtney Lavine would have been the better choice to promote. Don't you think? So why isn't she? Why is she stuck in the Corps while Copeland flails around Swan Lake? Why doesn't the news celebrate Dance Theater of Harlem and their fabulous dancers? Ingrid Silva is my favorite. They don't because all these dancers show up Copeland as a huge lie and they can't have it. Again this is deliberate.

Trixie Bailey don't you dare talk to her like that people have bad days besides she's only human nothing different we are all equal.

I have seen ballerinas starting out that have a thousand times better technique than Copeland. Her being a prima is an insult to those hardworking girls that work day in and day out to perfect their techniques and never make it out of the corps while this woman, with her marketed sob story got her principal role while being mediocre at best. ABT lost my respect

If it was a white ballerina dancing so poorly, she'd be absolutely crucified in the comment section, on every video that shows clips of her dancing, she'd be critiqued poorly by every reporter who watches her dance, and she'd be fired from even mediocre ballet companies - but this is ABT. Let's be real here. She's an inspiration because she started dancing VERY late, can do ballet well (taking into account she started late), she's African American and there aren't enough African American dancers in the ballet world, Prince loved her, her PR team praises her, and she's had documentaries about her, books written, etc. all praising her as being an inspiration. And you know what? I don't think that any of us aren't saying that she shouldn't be an inspiration. She is a role model and that's fine. But Odette / Odile, for example, is one of THE hardest roles to play in ballet, and you can be an inspiration and a role model all day long til the sun don't shine... but that doesn't mean you should be allowed to butcher one of the hardest ballet roles out there, all because you are an "inspiration", and I think that's how a lot of us feel about this whole thing.

"there aren't enough African American dancers in the ballet world" - what is " enough"? I suggest "enough" = as many as are qualified. Ballet, like any of the arts. is no place for affirmative action. Misty Copeland works hard; she's a good dancer and deserves admiration. But she doesn't belong as a prima ballerina, especially in Swan Lake.

She doesn't belong in a company like ABT period. I could see Boston Ballet, but ABT? Absolutely not. She was promoted over her fellow company member Coco Lavine who can dance circles around Misty. The promotion of Misty to principal was a business decision. @@ashleyblack155

​​@@ashleyblack155 She can work hard but she has not the technical level to be a first dancer. Her presence is an insult to art and to other dancers who are better than her and are not chosen because they are not black

She is an insult, not an inspiration

if you add in “i don’t care what color she is” it becomes clear that you do

@1k subs with no videos Yes some dancers struggle to get en pointe but not the principal of the ballet. Obviously there are exceptions according to unforeseen circumstances (such as injury or a faulty shoe) but a principal ballerina should never consistently struggle to get en pointe. And before you ask, yes I am a dancer.

@@jasmineelyse It's people like you that are inciting racism in this world, she's a crap dancer, end of story you fool.

Julie Faulkner i’m inciting racism by calling out. yeah that makes sense. she’s a crap dancer but look where you are and look where she is.

Laura Streeter if you have to write an essay to convince me, I’ve got some bad news...

what's wrong with somova, I admire her

Lucas I would like to see you do what she does tho

Piggy crafter Mix why? That literally makes no sense. Misty is the dancer here. If you’re a principal dancer, it is YOUR job to be flawless in every performance. Misty is clearly not qualified and you’re definitely in the minority here. Plenty of professional dancers would tell you the same thing.

I love how everyone wants to say she's praised because of her race, as if for centuries, black people INCLUDING MISTY have been torn down because of their race, but that just gets overlooked

London Louise I say let’s praise the actual GOOD black dancers. They are the ones deserving of praise. Not this overrated mediocre mess.

Terrible. Like she stubbed her toe and is just hoping about.

Hahahaha..

@imdyinginside yeah well at least shes isnt pretending to be a decent principal dancer

Watch Misty yet again fail to complete the 32 fouettes in Swan Lake. She just cannot do them. I feel bad for her and have nothing against her personally but in these beloved old roles she just hasn't got what it takes. All too often I fear that she may lose her balance/fall over. And her feet seem weak. I am ballet trained, years ago now but I love ballet and I am always fair We can only judge on performance, as this is where the principal dancers show what they're made of.

Agree completely. Misty is nearly 40 years old. If she can't master the steps now, she surely never will.

NOT one performance. Please watch the rest of the film.

I've only watched Misty on YT, and I know what you mean. I, too, trained years ago, and I love watching performances now on YT, especially many from the Royal and others, and I cannot watch Misty. And most of her videos will not allow commenting, which I do find a bit odd, and there are very few of them, certainly no full-length performances, or even very long. There is a very beautiful full-length performance of SL from ABT on YT, simply stunning performances. I've seen the video of Misty doing Romeo and Juliet? It feels so strained and awkward, and seems at odds with her partner, and, yes, there's a tension in wondering if something bad is going to happen. Not a nice feeling to have. Gelsey, at the worst point in her life, with her addiction really working havoc, was not only brilliant, but somehow you knew she would do it -- and, frankly, I don't know how she did it, but she did. Many dancers at that time were getting a lot of press -- but it all started with their abilities, technical and acting.

I love Gelsey Kirland! What a sublime talent. I agree that it is hard to watch Misty as she seems - how can I put it - all wrong, and very awkward in pas de deux. Very hard work to partner x

She never went uphill. This is how she has always looked while dancing.

Exactly! And this has nothing to do with her ethnicity or body type. She simple lacks the technical skills to be a principle dancer.

@@IHateYTIdentifiers if she could’nt do the fouettés why would she be picked for the role?

Yes! This exactly!

She most certainly does get to decide what roles she will dance. The only time she doesn't is if it involved Ratmansky. The Met Opera stole 3 of their weeks because they decided to prolong their season. Guess which company makes more money? It isn't ABT. If Copeland was such a moneymaker she should have lured in loads of new fans that would support this company and ballet regardless of whether she dancers or not. I guess the people she brings to the seats are a lie just like the rest of her career. I don't see her. I avoid her. Unfortunately she hogs up most of the performances from other dancers who can dance better, particularly in Swan Lake. This company is going to ride that bomb to the ground. Even if they don't exist anymore in a few years, they could still say they hired Copeland.

@@kerrytakashi12 Are the ticket sales of ABT that bad? I heard that Misty sells out all her shows. Wish there was more of Sarah Lane.

@@TheFilipinaWifeLife I've heard conflicting stories. There are rumors that her benefactor Carlotti (Exec with Goldman Sachs) buys blocks of tickets to make her shows look sold. Then these tickets are given away to Sachs employees, business associates etc. I don't know if this is true. I think Copeland attracts gawkers because of her publicity stories. They just want to see her and don't care one whit for ballet. Which seems to be the case because the company is struggling despite her. This is a shame because the company still has world class dancers in their ranks. But they are being deliberately buried for lesser talents. People who have sponsors on the Board of Directors or who are favored by the AD for whatever reasons.

@@kerrytakashi12Thanks, what a shame that there are legitimately good dancers just languishing in the wings. At least Brandt is finally dancing Giselle.

Thank you for telling the truth!

Hahaha..

A Girl Has No Name ah, I see. Both Trump supporters and Misty fans devolve into name-calling when they have no argument left also

A Girl Has No Name I’m not, but so what if I am? Typical of elitist Misty fans to dismiss other balletomanes in their frenzy to promote their idol 😂🤦🏻‍♀️

A Girl Has No Name it’s clear that your comment was meant to be an insult to me. Guess what? Being a cashier at Wendy’s is nothing to be ashamed of, but in your sad, deluded word it is 🤦🏻‍♀️

A Girl Has No Name If you haven’t noticed, I never actually made any “pissy comments” regarding Misty, but rather Misty “fans” like you, who defend her at all costs as if y’all are “aficionados”. So if anyone should be sitting down, it should be you guys #sitdown

hmm, if a principal dancer cannot execute these steps, she shouldnt be allowed to perform them. its not just a "bad day" or a "bad shoe" shes just weak :/

serena that is true, I do feel that there are many beautiful black dancers who don’t get much attention who deserve to be just as famous and praised as Misty Copeland. She is a beautiful dancer, but so is Michaela Deprince and many more

@@Bbaaba-fy4zd completely agree

Was it?? :/

Yeah but this is a hugely famous part of this ballet and should not be this much of a struggle. Other star dancers have botched this section from time to time but for Copeland it’s obviously too much…

Laura Streeter now there you go. You obviously know what you are talking about. I would just see a pretty girl in a sparkly tutu and enjoy the performance. So now I have to pick your brain a little. Do you think these clips are a few of just some bad days she was having such as jet lag, illness, learning a new choreography. I can imagine having just a bad day vs. Really being on target. Your thoughts?

Laura Streeter 0:39 I gasped.

Laura Streeter 1:02 to 1:14 I asked myself why that leg was hanging out. And traveling all over the stage. Her partner is standing there wondering what the devil is going on and asking if she’s coming back or not.

this got me laughing HAHAHAH "if she's coming back or not"

Carol Marie, I'm not sure whether your question was rethoric or not; in case you really wanted some professional opinion, as a dancer, I can just tell you the details of the critique you were reacting to are absolutely correct. I can assure you, to a dancer it is absolutely clear we are not talking about bad days. All the issues we're talking about are clearly due to lack of technique, easily recognizable by a professional. So this is why so many people criticize the fact she is a principal, when there are so many other dancers with even better technical skills out there. And I don't say this out of envy, it is just a matter of technical facts, at least for insiders. But...I would love to add, these technical issues are clearly neglectable details for somebody who just wants to enjoy a beautiful performance. And it still is a beautiful performance. And I think we all should get used to enjoy much more, see the beautiful details rather than the not so nice ones, and just let go. In my modest personal opinion, you do just well! Dear greetings.

Laura Streeter ...I am no trained dancer, but I’ve be watching ballet live since the age of 3 , I have seen the Swan Lake about 100 times , so from a non dancer’s perspective ...her flow , I don’t know there is something wrong with her flow , she does not flow properly ! She does have room to improve, maybe they made her principal to soon ! I mean if even untrained people can see her mistakes, it does show there is a problem !

Why do you keep peddling that lie. Copeland's whole claim to a career is via racism lies. She does claim it. "Copeland credits her survival to a series of mentors, mainly successful black women outside dance, and to ABT’s director, Kevin McKenzie. “He was sensitive enough to see that I was a young girl on my own, had never really had a stable home. He did what he could to help me grow when other people within the artistic staff didn’t want to see me get those opportunities.” Because you hadn’t paid your dues? “No, because of my skin colour. Because of my body. I know those things for a fact.” www.theguardian.com/stage/2018/nov/07/misty-copeland-interview-ballet-broken-disney-nutcracker-prince-obama

Kerry Takashi I don’t doubt that she faced some racism and jealousy. However, I don’t believe she has claimed that racism held her back or caused her to lose roles although this is assumed by lots of the reportage and fans. I cringe when I hear her referred to as a “legend” but I don’t think it is fair to blame her. Should she turn down all the opportunities and publicity? She is getting them because money can be made off her name. It is just business.

@@germaineperry9586 Read the quote again and the link to the original article. She stated outright the Artistic staff was against her. It can't get any clearer. Yes she SHOULD TURN DOWN roles she knows she can not dance. Why we are even having this discussion baffles me. The person in this video proof (among many) shows that she can not handle classical roles. This is not due to her skin color. It is not due to her body weight. It is due to poor training and willful, greedy stubbornness on her part.

Do you want more proof? Copeland "You know, my experience has been that a lot of what I’ve experienced has not always been to my face, or it’s been very subtle. But it’s in a way that I know what’s going on and I feel it deep inside of me. And I, being the only African American in almost every environment in terms of classical ballet, it weighs on you and it wears on you after a while. And I feel like a lot of it as well is what I’m kind of putting on myself." thejasminebrand.com/2016/03/16/president-obama-misty-copeland-talk-racism-gender-equality-the-term-black-girl-magic/ Here is MORE "There’s definitely still a glass ceiling in the ballet world,” Copeland continued. “There’s only one Black principal dancer in the American Ballet Theatre in their entire almost 80-year history and a lot of people don’t have the understanding that just because it’s been done once, doesn’t meant that that problem goes away… having one Black president didn’t mean that racism didn’t exist.” www.afro.com/breaking-barriers-in-ballet-misty-copeland-set-to-receive-trailblazer-award/ "After two decades, Misty Copeland became the first African-American soloist dancer to perform for ABT. Her story quickly made her a role model. “It made me feel really empowered not to let the negativity of racism even to this day affect me and my career. I can be strong and persevere and allow my talent to shine beyond the color of my skin,” she wrote." ANOTHER article with a quote from her book. stmuhistorymedia.org/misty-copeland-raising-the-barre/ Just go on search. YOU"LL FIND MORE! So why are you trying to sell that she isn't throwing around racism as a "get-a-classical-role-free" card play? Look at this video again. Do you think anyone would even be looking at her much less having her be a principal if she didn't make herself a media spectacle?

@@germaineperry9586 She has claimed it. Many a time.

What are you talking about? The only thing people are critiquing are her poor skills. If someone can't fix your car breaks properly but has a job due to whatever special reason, critiquing it would be racism. The breaks on your car failing wouldn't be due to poor skill but your own racist beliefs? Right? That is what you are saying.

Oh, please. She took away the opportunity from other ballerinas of color who are far more talented. Not that skin color should even play any role in choosing a principal dancer. If you interpret "lazy" as a racist trope, then you have to consider why that is how you interpreted it. It is more than obvious that Misty is not worthy of being a principal dancer because her technique is subpar. She could have had a lucrative career as a teacher, but as a principal dancer, she fails miserably.

Misty Copeland got her position because of pretty privilege. She’s got a beautiful athletic ballet body and relatively fair skin. She doesn’t know how to use her god given attributes because she had too many people glorifying her for her natural ballet body. That’s how “lazy” dancing develops. She never built up the substance needed to carry her current positionZ Why is that POC with Misty’s look her all the opportunity? Mia DePrince is already to the point where she literally gives you shivers with her performances… especially contemporary. Yet she isn’t a household name smh

You’ve missed the point completely. Please try to keep up.

tim s exactly

We are still waiting for her good days.....

all she has is bad days?

Strange 'logic'.

Ok, but her "art" is not working

Why do you equate well founded criticism 'hate'? She's not principal material for classical, that's a fact. I saw her in Firebird, she was ravishing though.

PaganSaint yes but if u think about it she still kept going even tho she had surgery. So she’s not the best but she’s a trooper

@@patatosquad2795 You know how many dancers EVERY YEAR ARE TROOPERS OVER MAJOR SURGERY? Dancers are nothing but troopers because they endure physical pain every day, this includes dancers at every level. This doesn't make every dancer special nor do they deserve to dance a lead role because they survived major surgery. But when you have mentors on the company board and are pushed by Goldman Sachs, well, then I guess your trooper moment is rewarded by giving the star role of Swan Lake. Never mind the fact if you can't dance it.

Oksana Skorik had achilles fractured during her soloist to principal days and she makes mistakes all the time. She's also skinnier, weaker, depressed, and hated by all. But she still danced better that copeland

Kerry Takashi WHATEVER

nah misty had already too much asspats from literally everyone. her career is almost up

Ah, here you go again and write exactly the same text! Now I know that you HAVEN'T watched my video! Funny guy, lol.

HAHAHAHAHAHA! Using your argument, we can allow people who failed math in HS and College be architects or automobile engineers or surgeons because DARN IT, life is short and we gotta let people be who they choose to be. So do you want to drive a car made by a person who failed math? Ridiculous example for an equally ridiculous comment that you gave. The person in this video does not deserve her position because she doesn't have the technique nor the talent. She is a publicity creation. There are many other dancers of all kinds who are 20x better. So why not them, why does it have to be this one? Hmmm? If you think about it, you'll see this is all by design with ill intent.

Thank you for this comment. One of the few people on here speaking from a place of acceptance rather than racism.

No. The racism in this case is the other way. This person denied a spot to a better dancer (no matter what her race) due to crying about racism. She wasn't held back due to her skin color. She was held back due to her bad technique. End of story. She could have stayed a soloist and specialized in the ballets that she does well. And no one would have complained. But she has pushed herself into roles she cannot dance and people, who should know better, keep patting her on the back while looking askance at dancers who can fulfill all the technical requirements. THAT IS RACISM! Due to her own bungling and big mouth, Misty Copeland is now the Florence Foster Jenkins of Ballet.

@Laura Streeter Bocelli is likely a better singer than Misty is a dancer, but mostly he does a sort of "pop opera," which suits his gifts.

Laura Streeter I agree that she is not perfect. However, you have not seen all of her performances. None of us have. We know only which productions we personally attended, or what we see online. I really don't think ABT would have appointed her if she wasn't capable, and if she was consistently performing poorly, they would release her. I'm sure you could pick out issues with every dancer, but that doesn't mean they are bad. She is unlucky enough to have her bad performances publicized, while other dancers are given a plethora of positive ones. I apologize for any offense I may have caused, but I genuinely believe that she is just as capable and talented as her peers.

Laura Streeter agree with everything you said except your last paragraph. She's danced at La Scala in R & J before, the only ballet she'll probably ever guest in because only the MacMillan choreography can hide her poor classical technique lol

@@MelissaAB17 quote: _"I really don't think ABT would have appointed her if she wasn't capable, and if she was consistently performing poorly, they would release her."_ Dear Melissa, why don't you use your OWN EYES? Why do you say she can't be that bad, because she's promoted to principal dancer? Because ABT says she's good? Use you own eyes and compare her! You can do that. On youtube. Compare her with whom you want. You don't need a versed person that tells you "She's good!" or "She's bad" You've got eyes to see and you can form your own opinion about her dance.

@@flotteluft if you can rephrase your response in a way that isn't condescending and patronizing, I would love to discuss this further. I understand that differences in opinion can be difficult to tolerate, but we can still discuss them in a respectful manner.

@@MelissaAB17 I thought I had been quite respectful. And patronizing ...🤔... Yes, because usually fans of Misty attract negative attention and laughter because of their naïveté and ignorance. But presumably my nerves are shot. It's pesky to repeat a ten thousand times the same words. When I'm finished with one Misty zealot, then the next one crawls around the corner and repeats the media phrases and lies. And then I have to repeat my answers. No, sorry, I don't want to discuss with you. Watch my videos "About the disharmony between Misty Copeland and Classical ballet" and "Black ballerinas who are much better than MC". Read the long comments and text to these videos. It was enough work to write them. I hope very much that ballet will survive strains and dangers that occur in form of form of Misty and a few others.

But like, her off nights seem to be every night?

She gets 'singled out' because she's not that good.

She's "singled out" because she is incredibly subpar and she got elevated to principal ballerina. It's not fair for other dancers.

They don't, because no one out there is as horrendous as her.

this isnt an off night. they have to actually water down choreo for Misty because she literally cannot dance it.

Destiny Blissitt nobody's mad as a ballet dancer myself whose also half black I can see SHE SUCKS I love the message she's sending but she can't catch a tune to save her life

Kayla Flowers by saying she suckis is definitely over kill lol her good performances outweighs her bad tenfold....y'all acting like performers can't have bad days lol smh

Destiny Blissitt there are 12 year old at my studio that do better than her .

Kayla Flowers Okay and that's great for them

Destiny Blissitt - the problem is she needs to simplify the choreography of most classical ballets because she lacks the technique to do it. It's a big deal in ballet, must like if an opera singer were to omit high notes because she cannot hit them or a classical pianist or violinist were not to play notes that are written because they are too difficult.

Lana Dimeva do u go around on youtube doing this lmao

maybe because she is amazing? haha silly people

Gaming Llamaz I thought there was one more before her like 10 years ago??

They draw straws. The short one has to dance with Misty.

Laura Streeter . Okay first of all dancers mess up all the time. That doesn’t mean that their technique is not good enough. Dancers are never going to be perfect. Their is always room for growth. And you should understand that. I’d like to see you or any other person saying things like that perform one variation and see how that would turn out. If she was a lazy dancer all the time I definitely don’t think she would be a PRINCIPAL dancer.

Laura Streeter Like I said many times. “THERE IS ROOM FOR GROWTH” That’s what classes are for. That’s why they have training. I just don’t understand why you are criticizing her if you aren’t even apart of a professional company. Obviously the company she is with see’s something in her. You aren’t her instructor or director so in my opinion I feel you should leave her be. She’s doing just fine.

Laura Streeter Also all dancers have bad days. She’s had amazing performances that are spot on. Why judge someone when they may be having an off day. You are just making assumptions. “Oh her turns were off here she’s a lazy dancer” Like NOOO.

Laura Streeter “Spend time studying her dancing”? Haha i’m sorry I don’t sit in my room all day obsessing over finding things to criticize a principle dancer for😂 and yeah there actually is room to grow always. You don’t just become good and stay at the same spot for the rest of your life and if you truly believe that then you might be missing a couple brain cells up in there. There could be 45 year old dancer and they grow each and every time they dance. But if you wanna be a judgy person you go right ahead. But just remember she’s a PRINCIPLE dancer and you are probably doing nothing accept still watching her videos. :)

Ava Guzman I'm a professional ballet dancer, currently living in vienna (I use a throwaway account). You sound very aggressive to me. Misty is a mediocre dancer next to fairies like Ulyana or Svetlana. She messes up too many times, being on pointe for a longer period seems TOO HARD for her and she's mostly famous because she's one of the better known black ballerinas and was in a music video. Wow. People have the right to criticize her. You say they shouldn't do it unless they're professional dancers themselves. Well... I'm a soloist, I've been dancing ballet, modern dance and hip hop since my early childhood, I'm a young adult in my early twenties now and I can say I'm part of a great company. It's okay to mess up from time to time. But Misty isn't a graceful dancer. She's lazy and she knows she can get away with it.

She is completely lacking in the skills and technique to be a classical ballerina.

But it isn't

I'd like to ask what gives you the right to say this about someone who has bad days just like any other human being? I'd like to see you perform those ballets without one mistake. She has a lot to offer. Way more than you ever will.

Lilshrimpnug You are just another defender whose only argument is "you are not better, you don't have the right to speak" . Blah blah blah.

But of course nobody can answer the question about the ARTISTIC value of her dance.

Lilshrimpnug how do you know that Matin Angel cannot perform well? For all you know, they could be a principal dancer at ABT alongside Misty. It is assumptious of you to say that they cannot perform at a high level such as this. While I believe Misty has gone through a lot and has worked very hard to get where she is, there are many dancers with equal or higher skill than she who, due to Misty's publicity (not her race, nor physique, but purely her reputation) who miss out on opportunities.

I'm making ballet compilations and in my research journeys I often come across "bad day" videos of professionals. But for Misty Copeland I acutally see only "bad day" videos. Her level is too low compared to russian ballerinas or american ballerinas like Gillian Murphy. She's a promotion puppet, not a principal dancer. Ballerina and principal dancer are labels in the ballet world, a ranking titel for continously extraordinary performances and art levels. Misty Copeland is a slap into the faces of all hard-working black and white dancers. And there are many.

KZfaq User She’s Black? 😎

There are supposed to be 32 fouettés. The few she managed were terrible. She's just bad.

And yet we are taking about her I’d say this if you want perfection look in the mirror otherwise send me your link of you doing the same things or shut up 😀

Solagre Music Productions I'll do better than that. I'll show you videos of professional dancers who haven't been promoted to principal yet who are far superior to Misty. There are many. She's only where she is because she's black.

katwil89 I’m Good on the examples but just maybe she’s where she’s at because she actually worked for it and I would think her being black was an even bigger obstacle than her white counterparts so please this is the last time I reply and your corny for having such a closed mind in today’s society I pray for you and your children ✌🏿

Kaylie xoxo I think there’s a miscommunication btwn us. I agree with u that she is over rated, there are a lot of dancers that are much better than her who deserve her spot as a principal dancer, but I don’t like that she is called lazy bc dancers work their asses off and she went through a really tough child hood to get to where she is today

Kaylie xoxo also I’m in a pre professional training program for ballet so I do understand ballet. No hate tho!

The sarcasm is spot on!

1) The majority of dancers both famous and not so famous did not come from wealthy parents. In fact many come from lower middle class and poor families. Also minority dancers have been given many opportunities via scholarships and opportunities. In CA I believe there is a program that trains black ballet students free of charge after being accepted by auditions. If they invite students who make the cut but have to pay a cut, they don't accept the invitation. So this lack of black ballet dancers is more in the line of NO INTEREST in the art. It is not an indication of no interest in dance. Because all other dance forms are well represented by black dancers. Moral of the story is, training is expensive for EVERYONE of all races. Not just Misty. 2) Copeland had operations on her legs because she had poor technique. She began training late and well after her bones were set in their growth. There is a reason why dancers start between the ages of 6 to 8. Their bones are soft and still growing. This is a prime time for the art to encourage certain growth patterns on the dancer's body. Not only did the late start hurt Copeland but she was pushed into toe shoes too early. Even motivated adult beginners who take enough ballet to start pointe are not allowed near pointe shoes until the teacher deems they are strong enough to withstand a very punishing form of training. Even those dancers must complete 3 to 4 years of serious training. The teacher who did that to Copeland did her no favors and she has steel rods in her legs because of it. 3) Copeland coasted on the support of Goldman Sachs. So much so she admitted herself that she SKIPPED ABT COMPANY CLASSES at the beginning of her Corps careers. The AD had to appeal to a board member to mentor her. Then Copeland had the audacity to wonder why she wasn't being given enough casting opportunities or promotions quicker. Talk about LAZY.

@Laura Streeter This is how the elite work their agenda for destruction. They choose hungry, desperate people on purpose. People who will tow the line and sell the poison pill. Meanwhile they also choose the ones who don't have the goods, the ones who can't make it on an even playing field. This makes them easy to control. The chosen can fall flat on their faces but the elite machine will celebrate them as geniuses. This can only have one of two endings. Either the chosen one is just a sociopath and doesn't care about the truth, accepting the phony accolades as his/her due OR their consciences catch up with them and they go bonkers. We'll eventually see which option with this one here.

@@kerrytakashi12 Yes, in Russia and Ukraine many dancer come from poor families. Dancing and sport is the only way for them to make it to the top. They save their money and work day & night to send their 3-6 year old children into ballet schools and training clubs for that they can come to top and make the family get out of the hole. This is actually cruel, because these children have never been allowed to live their own life and make their own decisions. Some of the sadest examples of this typical slavic way to create top dancers (and athletes) are Sergei Polunin and Oksana Skorik.

Most dancers at that level DO do it better.

No, she's really not good.

UseR n AME She’s just not good though...

She’s your sister?

Isabella Johnson Exactly

The problem is that she has never had "a best" performance. If I was paying 300 dollars to watch this hot mess, I would ask for a refund

She's a principal at one of the two top companies in America. This is something that's expected with the title, but she gets a pass because of what? her race? That hardly seems fair.

As a principal dancer of the ABT she is expected to be flawless at every single performance. If she wants to have slip-ups she is better of as a student.

Only when shes demoted to..corps the ballet

That’s what I’m thinking. There’s clips of her dancing I’ve seen that are stunning, and as a ballet dancer I have really bad days sometimes. And people expect principal dancers to just be perfect 100% of the time, it’s just not fair. Professional athletes mess up all the time, it happens. We’re only human.

She doesn't just dance different versions, she dumbs down the standard choreography because she hasn't even mastered the basics.

@@noblesetsentimentales obviously she has if shes getting hired by the PROFESSIONALS and EXPERTS. thats the point all of you are missing. she gets permission to use different techniques. shes not just doing them onstage without the choreographer's approval.