HERE.
APPRECIATE IT.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THIS WEEK, THE DANCERS OF THE
AMERICAN BALLET THEATER WILL
TAKE THE STAGE AT THE HARRIS
THEATER IN DOWNTOWN CHICAGO.
AMONG THEM IS ONE BALLERINA
FAMOUS AS FOR MAKING HISTORY AS
FOR HER DANCING.
BRANDIS FRIEDMAN SAT "DOWNTON
ABBEY" WITH MISTY COPELAND.
>> WHETHER SHE IS ON STAGE...
OR ON TELEVISION...
>> THE JOURNEY I'VE BEEN ON IS
MY OWN.
>> MISTY COPELAND THE
35-YEAR-OLD IS HISTORY MAKING AS
THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO BE
NAMED A PRINCIPAL DANCER FOR THE
ICONIC AMERICAN BALLET THEATER.
>> THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY BLACK
WOMEN, BLACK DANCERS THAT HAVE
COME BEFORE ME THAT SLOWLY
CARVED OUT THIS PATH FOR ME.
AND I THINK IT'S THE RIGHT TIME.
I THINK I'VE HAD THE RIGHT
SUPPORT SYSTEM TO BE ABLE TO
HAVE A VOICE AND SPEAK ABOUT THE
LACK OF DIVERSITY ON A BROADER
PLATFORM THAN JUST THE BALLET
WORLD.
AND IT WAS LIKE THE PERFECT
STORM.
BUT, IT IS AN INCREDIBLE HONOR
TO BE THE FIRST.
>> AN ADVOCATE FOR DIVERSITY
BOTH IN THE BALLET WORLD AND
OUT, COPELAND HAS BEEN OPEN
ABOUT HER EARLY DAYS AT ABT AND
THE CHALLENGES OF BEING THE ONLY
BLACK WOMAN IN THE COMPANY FOR A
WHILE.
>> I DID LOOK OUTSIDE OF THE
COMPANY FOR SUPPORT.
I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND OTHER
BLACK DANCERS' STRUGGLES AND GET
ADVICE AND KNOW WHAT TO DO.
I WANTED TO PURSUE A CAREER AT
ABT.
TO ME THAT IS WHAT WAS GOING TO
MAKE CHANGE.
WE GOING TO A COMPANY AND
DANCING WITH OTHER BLACK DANCERS
TO ME, I WOULD HAVE BEEN
DEFEATED.
I WANTED TO SHOW THAT I COULD
DANCE WHERE I WANTED TO DANCE.
AND BE A BLACK WOMAN.
>> IN MANY WAYS COPELAND RETURNS
THE SUPPORT SHE RECEIVED FROM
OTHER SUCCESSFUL BLACK WOMEN TO
YOUNGER DANCERS OF COLOR.
EVEN TAKING QUESTIONS FROM THE
BALLERINA'S OF HIP WAY, THE
BALLET GROUP BLENDING CLASSICAL
BALLET WITH HIP-HOP AND JAZZ.
>> IT IS INCREDIBLE TO BE IN A
ROOMFUL OF BROWN DANCERS THAT
THEY ARE BALLERINAS AND THERE IS
NOT A QUESTION ABOUT IT.
LIKE THAT IS WHO THEY ARE.
AND IT'S OK TO BE BROWN AND TO
BE A BALLERINA.
>> HER PROFILE IS HIGHER THAN
THAT OF MANY PROFESSIONAL BALLET
DANCERS.
SHE HAS WRITTEN BOOKS AND
RECEIVED ENDORSEMENT DEALS FROM
ESTEE LAUDER AND UNDER ARMOR.
>> UNDER ARMOR WAS THE FIRST TO
TAKE A CHANCE WITH ME.
AND THE WOMEN WHO WORKED THERE
COULD SEE THE VISION AND
UNDERSTAND IT BUT IT TOOK A
WHILE FOR THE MEN TO UNDERSTAND
AND SEE THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE
POWERFUL AND THAT PEOPLE WOULD
BE ABLE TO ESPECIALLY WOMEN BE
ABLE TO RELATE TO A BALLERINA
AND SEE ALL THE HARD WORK THAT
IT TAKES.
>> COPELAND'S BOOK, BALLERINA
BODY WAS IN RESPONSE TO THE
QUESTIONS SHE RECEIVED ABOUT HOW
SHE FUELS HERSELF FOR LONG DAYS
IN THE STUDIO.
BUT ALSO THE BOOK IS FOR YOUNG
GIRLS AS THEY GROW AND LEARN TO
CARE FOR THEIR OWN BODIES.
>> IT IS ABOUT THE JOURNEY IT IS
NOT ABOUT A DIET AND NOT ABOUT
GETTING QUICK RESULTS BUT
ENJOYING THE PROCESS AND BEING A
BALLERINA, IT'S FALLS IN THE
SAME LINE OF THE MAJORITY OF OUR
TIME IS IN THE STUDIO.
AND IF YOU DON'T ENJOY THAT
JOURNEY AND THAT PROCESS IT'S
NOT WORTH IT TO GET THE END
RESULTS OF BEING ON STAGE AND
THAT IS HOW I LOOK AT MY LIFE.
>> AND SHARES HER LOVE OF BEING
IN THE KITCHEN.
PERHAPS WHEN HER DAYS ON STAGE
ARE DONE IN THE HOPEFULLY
DISTANT FUTURE, SHE MAY TAKE A
NEW TITLE.
>> I LOVE BEING IN THE KITCHEN.
IT'S LIKE I COME HOME AND MY
HUSBAND KNOWS THAT I'VE HAD A
TOUGH DAY HE IS LIKE LET'S GO
GET GROCERIES BECAUSE HE KNOWS I
WILL BE HAPPY.
IT'S RELEASES SO MUCH LIKE
TENSION AND IT'S CREATIVE.
>> CHEF MISTY?
FOR "CHICAGO TONIGHT" I'M
BRANDIS FRIEDMAN.
>> COPELAND IS IN THE EARLY
STAGES OF HER NEXT BOOK WHICH