Misty Copeland knows ballet hasn’t always been the most accessible art form. Even as she’s broken barriers in the space, becoming the first African American woman promoted to…
Misty Copeland knows ballet hasn’t always been the most accessible art form. Even as she’s broken barriers in the space, becoming the first African American woman promoted to principal dancer with the prestigious American Ballet Theatre, there’s still a long way to go in making ballet accessible to all.
Copeland is hoping to break down those barriers with her short film, “Flower,” which screened at the Bentonville Film Festival on Wednesday.
“Throughout my career, it’s really been about bringing dance to the masses. Bringing ballet to communities that wouldn’t otherwise have access to it,” she told Variety during a special “Shaping the Narrative” conversation following the screening at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.
“The stories have to evolve and they have to reflect the audience members that are coming to see it. To me, this is a modern ballet. This is a reflection of what’s happening in society, in so many communities across the country.”
The 28-minute film is told almost entirely through movement, as Copeland’s character Rose is seen working two jobs while she supports her mother (Christina Johnson), who lives with dementia. Rose’s world opens up as she befriends the charismatic Sterling (Babatunji Johnson), who gives her newfound hope for her community of Oakland, Calif.
Copeland says her own experience of housing instability growing up was a driving force behind the film’s story. “I was houseless for most of my childhood, and wanted to give people a different lens into what that can look like, and who experiences it. There’s no one face, and there’s no one story. I think we often lose that sense of empathy when we’re looking at people in this position.”
The film’s only use of dialogue comes when Rose and Sterling speak to three actual unhoused individuals in Oakland, who open up about their circumstances and plead to be treated equally.
“We just felt like they are those who are often voiceless, so let’s give them the voice,” Copeland says. “The one time you hear in the film, should be from those who don’t often have a voice.”
It’s no surprise Copeland would lend her platform to others — her non-profit organization, the Misty Copeland Foundation, aims to bring greater diversity, equity, and inclusion to dance, especially ballet. Its signature program, BE BOLD, makes ballet accessible, affordable, and fun through an afterschool dance initiative for young children of color.
“I was introduced to ballet at my Boys and Girls Club. I took my first class at 13 years old on the basketball court. It took one teacher seeing something in me and giving me an opportunity,” she says. “To me, it’s really abut creating future leaders. Giving them the tools to go on and be excellent.”
Watch the full conversation above.