- When you look into my eyes, what do you see?
- An innocence?
Yeah, I think it's like the vulnerability in you that
makes you the creator that you are,
and makes you the artist that you are.
And I think that some of the best creators have
just something in them that they're
waiting and willing to accept someone else's like, vibe and energy
and I think that's what I see when I look at you.
- Aww thanks
(laughing)
- I don't mean to make you blush
but you made me tear up.
(laughing)
All right, when you think about the first time we met,
what do you remember?
- Oh my gosh.
(laughing)
- Well, it's one of those things,
it's like first time we met was
the elevator at 890 Broadway,
and I just got my dance magazine cover
with you on the cover
and I like had in my hand.
And I think I even saw you perform that week
or maybe the night before...
- Yeah.
- with Prince!
And I saw you like, coming in the elevators,
as I was coming out of it and I just seriously was like
(laughing)
- Oh my God, that's a whole lot of stuff.
For me I feel like the first meeting was like, at Julliard,
like in the studios.
Like to be able to actually like be in a space to like
create when you started Ash that that was quite a process.
And it's just crazy to think back to the beginning,
but I feel like that was like the first meeting.
- Yeah, 'cause really we were learning each other.
- Yes.
- And I loved it.
Just like I cherish those moments just sitting
on the floor before and after.
- Just chatting, just talking.
(laughing)
- Alright, lemme go to my next one and see.
How do you describe me to others?
- Oh my gosh.
Okay, I would say...
Kind.
- Oh nice!
- Loving, caring...
I would say there's a bit of an introvert there
but you know what you want,
you know what like the possibilities are.
And I think like that was so good for me.
I think it's hard for me when there's like too much freedom,
and I'm just kinda like,
I don't know where to go with this
and I know that I'm just gonna keep reverting back
to the same old thing I do.
And like you pushed me to step outside of that,
'cause I think you saw what the possibilities were.
Yes. - Well thanks!
Yeah, it's tricky, I feel like if--
all of the things that people would-- actually do expect
it's like, yes she is kind, she is extremely hard working.
I don't understand how you have time
in the day, just period.
Like to just even be, really to be kind
because like when you have so much on you,
like how do you maintain that sense of just humanity,
and just a humble way about you?
It's really rare and beautiful thing to have
around or witness.
- Thank you.
I feel like if you're not...
I don't know,
I just feel like I wouldn't be able to like sleep at night.
if like, if it wasn't-- if all the hard work
and the crazy schedule wasn't for something.
And so to like go through that with
just like being like angry and nasty,
it's just like miserable, it's just miserable, right?
(laughing)
That's where you learn to flat iron your hair without a mirror
and you just keep on moving.
What do you think is the hardest thing for me right now?
I haven't shared with you yet.
And what could you do to support me better?
That's a complicated question.
- Yeah.
- You can pass you have to stare me in the eyes
for like, and then I go, okay.
- Well, I can answer it
- I think the tricky thing,
like with these answers is just
like trying to like keep things that aren't out...
inward.
- Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- But I think...
Yeah I mean, I think...
- Totally I feel you.
- All of the transitions that
you're experiencing in your life.
There's so much and there's so many different layers
to all of the like new chapters of Misty Copeland,
that I think I would love to do a better job of
just checking in on you.
- I think you do.
- I do, I think you do.
And it's always just like a nice,
like it's just nice to get that from someone,
I think when you're so often just pulled
in so many directions,
and is there anything that I could do better to support you?
- No we're good,
Yeah, I feel like recharge in a way that's like crazy,
cause then it's just trying to find that balance,
when you have that recharge and not overdoing it.
- Yeah, I just need to get back in the studio with you.
- Yeah, make something.
- Okay.
- Retirement show.
(laughing)
- Okay.
When do you feel people judge us,
and why do you think they do?
- Okay, every day all the time.
(laughing)
- Okay.
- I think that... I mean clearly
as black people.
That's an obvious one.
I think as artists and often existing in
a very white world and atmosphere,
there comes a lot of like criticism and judgment.
There are so many reasons why that could happen
but I feel like we both do a good job of kind of,
keeping it out, keeping it out of like effecting the circle.
- Yeah, I think something that's interesting for both of us,
that we experienced in different ways but has a likeness,
is that even with whatever successes we have
we're still an underdog, right?
Like sometimes you're an underdog because you're successful.
- Right?
Totally, absolutely I love that.
Yeah, it's unbelievable that you think that,
and that's why clearly they matter to some extent
but like it's about like the success within yourself
and how you feel about yourself
and like the people around you and having people
around you that respect you and love you.
And to me like that's like the baseline for my happiness.
(chuckles)
Okay, how are we most similar and how are we most different?
- Oh, that's-- Okay,
I'm answering that.
(laughing)
I don't know,
I think there are a lot of similarities ironically
which is a thing I really love.
And especially learning more and more about you.
It's like there's so many reasons to have respect for you,
and to champion for you.
It's like, it's one thing to see someone succeed,
but it's when you know someone's full story
and you know that they're a wonderful human being
you always want them to succeed.
- Yeah.
I mean I feel like when we first met,
like I saw so many similar...
Just like in like this...
I feel like when people first like get to know me
and I'm not like that comfortable with them that
there's like a very quiet like you're focused,
but it's not like an outward thing.
It's like you process things like internally
and wait until you're ready for it to like come out,
and I feel like I have like a similar process.
And I mean, I don't know if it's different.
I mean, I feel like I've had so many people behind me
that have literally like, forced me to accept my success.
And I feel like you don't often like,
embrace and accept your genius.
(Chuckles)
And I think like it's something that you need to own.
- Oh, thanks I'm like it's subjective.
(laughing)
- Stop it, stop it.
- But thanks I'll take it, okay.
Oh, describe the moment you realized you could trust me.
- Oh my gosh, okay.
Well, I always felt a trust in you.
I think what was hard for me was to,
feeling that you didn't trust me maybe.
I always like trusted you with me.
And I think even more so
like those first rehearsals on the stage like in costume,
I'm so used to, in that space when you're so vulnerable,
when you get on stage for the first time
and you're dealing with the lights and adjusting,
and I'm so used to in my field as a classical dancer,
that being the time when you're most like,
when they come at you and then you know what I mean?
And you're like "But I'm just trying to get my footing!"
"But you didn't do this, and get this, and do this."
I gotta know where the floor is!
(laughing)
And I feel like you like gave me the space in that time
which made me feel so much more confident in myself.
And I completely was like,
okay, I trust you
I trust that I'm gonna be able to do this
and it was all good.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah it's very mutual.
I mean, sometimes I'll say if I'm working with a company,
I say it's my personality sometimes to not be
like overly excited but it's not that I'm not.
I'm just like
"Yeah, that was good, here are the notes!"
- "Yeah alright, let's do it!" You're like, "What?
I just put my heart and soul..."
- Yeah, so it's a thing, yeah.
- Yeah, well it worked for me,
it worked for me, it did.
(laughing)
Okay, if this were to be our last-- Oh, that's so sad!
If this was to be our last conversation
what's something you never want me to forget.
- Hmm, I wouldn't want you to forget,
how similar we are in so many ways
and how we can honor each other's differences.
- Beautiful that was so short and like thoughtful and deep.
- Thanks.
What is your biggest dream
and how can I support you even more at achieving it?
- Oh!
- Well I wanna know that one.
- I think it would be creating like a catalog of works,
that truly allow me to explore all sides of myself.
And I think collaborating more in the future,
could definitely help that to come to fruition.
- Nice, I dig that, I dig that. Y'all heard it?
(laughing)
- Oh, I see you.
Why do you love me?
- Oh my gosh.
So many reasons.
Oh my gosh.
I love your openness.
I love your abundance of love that
you just put forth in this world.
I love that smile.
I mean, I feel like that's like a known,
like as just a couple of smiles just legendary.
Um, up with them calves, too.
(laughing)
Yeah, I love your generosity.
I love your artistry.
I love your power in every way. In the person you are,
and the advocate you are,
the artist you are, all those things.
Yeah, I can go on and on but...
(Laughing)
- I love you for just the person that you are
to everyone all the time.
Your willingness to like, in this very subtle way,
just express everything that you have inside of you.
And not because it's by society standards,
but it's your standards.
I love the person that you are
and the support that you give me
and the beautiful art that you bring to the world.
- Oh, thank you.
(laughing)