Jay-Z once quipped, “I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man.” The same could be said about Misty Copeland, only she’s, you know, a strong, amazing, dancing woman. Her success extends so far beyond the ballet world, it’s no surprise to see the 32-year-old American Ballet Theatre soloist acknowledged among start-up founders and CEOs on this year’s Crain’s New York Business “40 Under 40” list.
The publication cites her involvement in the creation of ABT’s outreach program, Project Plié, her wildly successful Under Armour commercial, the development of her dancewear line, M, the publication of her memoir and a children’s book, plus her in-the-works docuseries with Oxygen. And let’s not forget her documentary, A Ballerina’s Tale, premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival in a few weeks, or how she’s broken major barriers as a black woman in classical dance. She’s just so much bigger than ballet at this point. Congratulations, Misty!
Photo by Rosalie O’Connor, courtesy of ABT