Icon and inspiration Misty Copeland danced with the American Ballet Theater for the last time on Wednesday, October 22. Now, the star, who was the company’s first Black female principal dancer, opened up to The New York Times (via People) about the experience. That includes the fact that she has been “dealing with a really severe hip injury.”
Admitting that “everything just kind of plummeted” in the week before her final performance was scheduled, she explained, “It was really hard to dance with the complete abandon that Iâm used to.”
She says that while practicing Twyla Tharpâs “Sinatra Suite,” which would be her final dance, she was “in so much pain.”
“I was changing things in the moment,” she said while she explained how she was dealing with the pain. “But I was just trying to stay really connected to my partners and just really be present in that way. So I guess in my approach, I was free.”
Misty Couldn’t Walk After Her Final American Ballet Theater Show
While Misty was battling through the pain while rehearsing for her final show, things became much worse after she finished the performance. In fact, she told The New York Times that she “physically couldnât walk” after her performance was over.
“My hip, it really locked up,” she said. “It just needs to calm down. Itâs really inflamed.”
Noting that she’ll be seeing a team of doctors to ensure that she can continue to dance, she explained that she has a new gig lined up in Los Angeles, saying that it’s “a really cool opportunity.”
“Itâs nothing like what I did,” she added. “I want to find a way of doing things that I enjoy and that donât include ‘Swan Lake.’”
Misty Needs to ‘Keep Moving [Her] Body’
Although Misty may need to alter how she dances, she told The New York Times, “I realized I have to keep moving my body.”
“And I want to keep moving my body, but it can look like whatever I want it to look like,” the dancer noted. “And I think thatâs the beauty of movement and the beauty of aging and finding ways to move.”
She also explained, “Once youâre in shape and youâve really focused on the artistry and the people and the relationships, itâs like, ‘Ah, this is what it is. This is what I forgot about; this is what itâs all for.’”
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