Misty Copeland’s stunning ad for Under Armour will change your perception of ballerinas as athletes. A voiceover reads a rejection letter the then 13 year old Copeland received declaring she has the wrong body for ballet. The ad spotlights the hard athletic build of her body and then she soars with a brief performance.
In this era when we try to be aware of the possible negative messages we share with pre-teen girls in an effort to avoid encouraging negative self body image, this ad is right on target. The clear message is you can be whatever you want to be and do not live your life limited to the beliefs of others.