Unconventional Ballerinas

My last post was about ballet, so I thought I would follow it up by writing about a couple dancers who I find inspiring. These dancers are reshaping the stereotypical ballerina mold and proving to us that there is not just one type of dancer, but rather that the dancer has multiple embodiments and comes from anywhere and can do anything.

Picture taken from Dance Magazine.

Keenan Kampa: Kampa is a dancer and a model, currently in Russia, and among her crowning achievements is her status as the first American to dance in the prestigious, all-Russian Mariinsky Ballet. She is a person of incredible resilience, overcoming the odds of age, cultural differences, and multiple injuries. She discovered at the young age of 17 by Gennady Selyutsky, a Russian Ballet Master. He noticed her at a Masters Class at the Kennedy Center in D.C., and invited her to study with the Vaganova. She became the first American to graduate with a full Russian diploma in 2010- a major achievement in the world of dance. She spent two years with the Boston Ballet, and in 2012, she became the first American to dance in the Mariinsky Ballet. For Kampa, pursuing her passion hasn't been easy- she's been plagued by injuries and the cultural divide between American and Russia. Adjusting to dancing with the Mariinsky Ballet or at the Vaganova, which can be seen in the stern, disciplinarian instructors she has worked with. She experienced a lot of ridicule with both Ballets, only further proving her commitment to her passion when she refused to drop out. She also models in her spare time and is an ambassador for Lejeune foundation, an organization that funds research for Down Syndrome and other genetic disorders. You can follow her on twitter (@Neenakampa) and instagram (@bkeenie).

Copeland's feature in Teen Vogue.

Misty Copeland: Copeland is making history as well as the first black soloist at the American Ballet Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina. An exerpt was featured in the March 2014 issue of Teen Vogue. Her story is truly inspiring, as she's overcome racism and body-shaming to achieve her dreams. She even inspired Project Plié, a program run by the ABT aimed at diversifying ballet. She didn't begin her ballet training until age 13, and just 5 years later, at the incredibly young age of 18, she was dancing with ABT. She worked her way up from the Corps de Ballet, and she came from a background of poverty. She has excelled  in an art that has "long been the province of the white and wealthy," to quote her memoir. I've seen this statement spark many arguments, but ultimately, she is right. The amount of hours serious dancers put into their work makes them run through pointe shoes like a sick person runs through tissues, but they still can cost more than $50. Copeland came from a family that hardly had enough money for food, let alone enough money for travel or hobbies. As a member of the Corps, she was constantly judged by her fellow dancers and her teachers. Not only was she atypical in terms of her race, but her body type was different. She was only 5'2'' and 100 lbs- completely normal- but in ballet, her curves and full chest would not do and so she was told she had to "lengthen." This was ballet speak for "lose some weight or you lose your spot." She refused to listen to this pressure, however, and decided to "out-dance" everyone so that ABT would be forced to recognize her talent. She didn't starve herself, but she did step up to the game in a way that only the most mentally healthy can. She is truly inspiring, not just as a dancer but as a person as well. In a career where girls have to fit a certain mold, Misty refused to reshape herself and instead forced the mold to accept her.
Theatre in 20 years. She has memoir, titled

I hope these stories have encouraged you to never give up on your dreams or passions, whatever they may be. If Misty can start training at age 13 and end up dancing with such a prestigious company only 5 years later, and Keenan can overcome cultural divides to dance in world-renowned dance companies, you can give your passion a shot.

~Simran