Famed ballerina Misty Copeland is enjoying a fulfilling career that has encouraged a new era in the otherwise stringent world of ballet. Copeland’s meteoric rise didn’t come easy as she endured the complexities of a lowly childhood but defied the odds by beginning her career at the relatively mature age of 13 – and despite being thwarted for not presenting the ideal body type for her chosen vocation, Copeland stunned her detractors and the world with her immeasurable talent and immense fortitude.