Misty Copeland Never Wanted to Stand Out. Then She Changed Ballet Forever

Misty Copeland Never Wanted to Stand Out. Then She Changed Ballet Forever

June 24, 2026 · 1h 23m

About this episode

Misty Copeland discusses her career, challenges, and collaborations in ballet with Maria Sharapova.

Legendary ballerina Misty Copeland pulls back the curtain on the most pivotal moments of her career. From performing on the Oscars stage alongside the cast of Sinners—and addressing Timothée Chalamet’s infamous comments—to the unique experience of collaborating with icons like Prince and Taylor Swift, Misty shares it all. Misty and Maria also dive into the reality of performing through injury: the physical toll, the mental resilience required to keep going, and what these challenges taught her about her body and its limits. Misty Copeland is the true embodiment of Pretty Tough. All that and more on this episode of Pretty Tough. Pretty Tough is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to every episode on your favorite podcast platform⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Maria on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Maria on X⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Pretty Tough on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Pretty Tough on Substack⁠ 00:00:00 – Intro: The Evolving Athlete 00:02:15 – Finding Her Voice: Overcoming "Little Mouse" 00:07:30 – Survival Mode to Artistic Passion 00:09:30 – The First Ballet Class: From Basketball Court to Prodigy 00:13:45 – The Studio as a Sanctuary 00:14:15 – Stage Presence vs. Public Speaking…

People in this episode

Host: Maria Sharapova

Guest: Misty Copeland

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Organizations: VOX MEDIA

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