In USA TODAY’s The Essentials, celebrities share what fuels their lives, whether it’s at home, on set, or on the road.
Misty Copeland is paying it forward – both on and off the dance floor.
The American Ballet Theatre principal dancer, still dancing but now at a new stage of her career as a mom, foundation owner and mentor, is sharing her advice for teens in a new book.
“Letters to Misty” (out now from Simon & Schuster) compiles fan notes the ballerina has received over her decades-long career. As the first Black woman to become a principal dancer at the ABT, Copeland has long inspired young performers, especially dancers of color. She shares with USA TODAY the best tips she’s learned for self-care and confidence.
Prince gave Misty Copeland key advice for confidence
In “Letters to Misty,” Copeland, 42, teaches teens that confidence is something you have to practice.
“It’s working a muscle, it’s putting in the reps and having a support system around you,” Copeland says. “The ballet mistresses or the coaches or the teachers around you are there to help and guide you, but it’s up to you to be consistent.”
As a young dancer, she was often the only Black girl in the room. Throughout her several collaborations with Prince, she said the “Purple Rain” singer gave her advice she’ll never forget: Uniqueness and individuality are strengths.
“I was coming from this place of fear and wanting to shrink myself in order to fit in and he was like ‘What are you talking about? There’s so much power in being the only one out there,’” she says. “‘You’re holding your attention – now what are you going to do with the opportunity?’”
Mentors are an essential part of Misty Copeland’s journey
A support squad is also crucial to building confidence, Copeland says. Her local childhood Boys and Girls Club (where she took her first ballet class) helped her establish healthy mentor figures from a young age. Her first ballet teacher was a key role model.
She also looks up to fellow dancers Alicia Graf Mack, Raven Wilkinson (who Copeland’s 2022 book “The Wind at My Back” is about), Lauren Anderson, actress Victoria Rowell and producer Susan Fales-Hill.
“Throughout my career, so many incredible women, and specifically Black women, have really been like the backbone of my success,” Copeland says. “That, naturally and organically, taught me the importance of being a mentor.”
Misty Copeland’s favorite social media accounts help her stay ‘zen’
In “Letters to Misty,” young readers ask Copeland about staying true to themselves in the digital age and how to navigate an often toxic social media landscape.
“I really suggest surrounding yourself, following people that are more aligned with your own values and being able to shut it off and say ‘What’s important are the people who are actually in my life that are there for me,’” she says.
Her favorites include culinary icon Ina Garten, photographer Mark Seliger, art curator Thelma Golden and any of the Aman hotel properties, which make her feel “so zen just looking at them.”
How Misty Copeland recharges: ‘A necessity and not a luxury’
Rest is a self-care priority to Copeland, telling teens in “Letters to Misty” it’s “a necessity, not a luxury.”
When she’s in the dance studio for eight hours a day, a day off has a leisurely start, sleeping in late and stretching. On the second day of her weekend, she’ll take a Pilates class, nap more, drink lots of fluids and eat nutritious meals. She also ices her body with her Game Ready ice machine, which keeps her blood circulating and reduces inflammation.
You’ll also find her dabbling in some “terrible TV” and listening to Kendrick Lamar, Mariah Carey, Anita Baker or Sade.
One of her favorite ways to unwind is to cook, especially her signature citrus salmon dish that she once made for Garten herself. Copeland broils her fish in a homemade marinade of brown sugar, orange juice, soy sauce and white wine vinegar, pairing it with sweet potato mash on the side.
“One of my favorite things is opening the refrigerator and there’s nothing in there and you’re like, ‘How can I make something work?’ It’s this creative challenge,” Copeland says.
Journaling is also a key part of her routine and has been since she was young. She often journals when she’s on the road or in hotel rooms and saves every finished notebook to look back on later.
“It’s such a healthy way to process things and also to document,” she says.
Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY’s Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter, or tell her what you’re reading at [email protected].
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