When Prince calls, you answer. In an interview posted to Instagram, Misty Copeland, a principal at the American Ballet Theatre, recalled her muse relationship with the one and only Prince. She shared, “I remember him calling when I was in the middle of a ballet class.” Apparently, Prince had been searching all over for Copeland and it took him over a year to find and connect with her. The sheer knowledge of Prince searching for Copeland blew her mind.  

The artist formerly known as Prince remade the song “Crimson and Clover” in 2009, and he envisioned Misty dancing in the video. Copeland said he shot the video with another dancer but knew it wasn’t his vision. When Prince wants something, he gets it. Within a couple of days, the prima ballerina was on set in Los Angeles with Prince improvising, which sparked their muse relationship/friendship. Copeland said this special friendship helped shape her career. “It brought me to a better space of what I wanted out of my career,” she said.

Copeland ended up touring with Prince all over the world.

“Having that experience with someone that was a creative genius, tha believed in me and was pushing me to explore my dance in a different way, it just allowed me to become the artist I am today,” Copeland mused.

In 2015, Copeland became the American Ballet Theatre’s first Black principal. Her presence in dance continues to challenge the status quo and inspire young dancers all over the world. Although she didn’t start dancing until she was 13, her career is a testimony to your talents making room for you.