At the CROSSROADS

When you come to a fork in the road, take it – as the saying goes. Here, six strong women from across the globe reflect on the decisions that changed their lives forever, as part of the Giorgio Armani Crossroads project

- Giorgio Armani

MISTY COPELAND

BALLERINA, USA

“I was one of six children raised by a single mom. We struggled a lot financially and were homeless for most of my childhood. I’d never seen classical dance, but there was a teacher who was offering free lessons on a basketball court. I took my first class aged 13 and soon after, my teacher came to the motel we were living in and said [my talent] was worth investing in. So my mom let me go and live with her family and I studied ballet on a full scholarship; four years later I was dancing professionally in New York City with the American Ballet Theatre. My other major crossroads moment was when I was approaching my first principal ballerina role – I was the first Black woman to be given this opportunity in the company, but I was injured at the time. I did the performance anyway, knowing that it could be a career-ending injury. It was [worth it because] a Black woman, me, was on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House, and the Black community was coming out for the first time to support someone they could see themselves through. Even if that was the last performance I ever did, it was going to make a huge impact. And I became the first African-American principal ballerina with American Ballet Theatre in their 75-year history.”

SUSAN CARLAND

AUTHOR & ACADEMIC, AUSTRALIA