Play Misty for me

ON YOUR TOES Copeland performs the pas de trois from Swan Lake.

Photograph: Gene Schiavone

There’s a certain video circulating on the Internet that, on the surface, has nothing to do with princes at American Ballet Theatre, but with the very Prince himself. Misty Copeland, handpicked by the Minneapolis rocker to star in his new “Crimson and Clover” video, is, of course, a soloist at ABT distinguished by her elegant rigor in classical ballets, natural affinity for more contemporary dances and, of late, a sparkling aptitude for acting. In classical ballet, black dancers are rare. Copeland, 26, is more than an inspiring performer, but one of the few examples of women who have broken the color barrier. During ABT’s spring season, which kicks off Monday at the Metropolitan Opera House, Copeland will perform Gulnare in Le Corsaire, as well as leading roles in Paul Taylor’s Airs and George Balanchine’s Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux. For the latter, Copeland, a recipient of a 2008 Leonore Annenberg Fellowship in the Arts, received coaching by Merrill Ashley. She spoke about the upcoming season at ABT’s studios.

Is this the first time you’re dancing Balanchine’s Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux?
I’ve never done it. When I first starting learning it, I was working with Kevin McKenzie and Clinton Luckett just to get the basics and to learn the steps, but I actually was coached by Merrill Ashley. Recently, we worked together because of this Annenberg Fellowship that I’ve been given. It’s so amazing. I was going to work with her on Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux and on Theme and Variations—just to do them—before I was cast. It’s been sort of a wake-up call because I feel like a lot of the Balanchine ballets are hard for me. That’s one reason why I wanted to work with Merrill; I know that is a weakness of mine—moving fast and never having trained in Balanchine. It was exciting to work with her and it was very different from what I thought Balanchine was. You think you want to distort things, but it is very classical; it’s all about being up on your legs. I have so far to go, but I’m aware. [Laughs] She’s just someone I admire and who has taught me so much in the short time that we worked together.

Did you apply for the Annenberg Fellowship?
No. Kevin selected dancers. I’d never heard about it before. I think this is the first year they’ve used dancers. In the past, they’ve used a lot of musicians, singers, actors—all professionals.

Did you choose Ashley or was she chosen for you?
We were allowed to choose anyone we wanted to work with. I’ve worked with Susan Jaffe a lot. Just for fun, on our time off, I worked with her on Giselle, just to have the experience. It’s a role that I’ve always wanted to do. Susan also coached me a little bit on Gulnare for Le Corsaire. I worked with Cynthia Gregory on Swan Lake; she’s such a great person. And I also have been working with an acting coach a little bit, Byam Stevens. He coached Kevin when he danced, and they’re very close friends; he also worked with Susan through most of her career. He has no dance training at all, but has developed his own method of incorporating theater and ballet and it’s been so cool to work with him. It’s not just coming from a physical-dance point of view. When I worked on Giselle, I actually got to have both of them in the studio at the same time. They worked on Giselle together when she was dancing it. It was amazing to have that.

When did you work with Jaffe?
The company was on a layoff. This was right before we went to London [in March].

Why did you pick Ashley?
I worked with Merrill a little bit when she came and set Ballo della Regina. I never saw her perform live, but just from watching videos and working with her—she’s part of the last generation of dancers who worked with Balanchine who is also really still up and going and setting things.

And I’ve watched her a few times—she is blessedly clear.
Yes. Exactly. She gets the point across. There’s no beating around the bush and I love that. I love to just get it done and she’s very clear, but just watching her in videos—there’s such an elegance in her upper body and then her feet are doing crazy things. [Laughs] So I don’t know: She’s just someone I admire and who has taught me so much in the short time that we’ve worked together.

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