Last week Dance Theatre of Harlem celebrated founders Arthur Mitchell and Karel Shook through a week’s worth of dance enrichment and dance classes. I managed to catch the legendary conversation hosted by former DTH Ballerina, Tai Jimenez. Tai had the pleasure of sitting down with another former ballerina of DTH. From the very top of this virtual immersion of history and knowledge, I felt really excited that Tai was interviewing a dancer she actually watched and looked up to a lot.
Charmaine Hunter was the woman of the hour! Instantaneously, I grabbed a blank sheet of paper (not having my dance journal), my favorite writing pen and watched as the page quickly became filled with surprising information, names of notable dance production workers and miscellaneous moments of inspiration as I listened intently. However, what I found most interesting as I took notes and listened is the parallel between Charmaine Hunter, Misty Copeland, and their major breakthrough career moment. But before I get to that point, let’s pick up a few surprisingly inspirational facts about these two legendary dancers.
If you watched A Ballerina’s Tale, Misty Copeland’s documentary, or read her famous memoir, Life In Motion, you know that Misty was 13 years old when she started training in ballet. With two more years of age, Charmaine Hunter was introduced to formal dance training and ballet at the age of 15. As I continued listening to the interview, I marveled at how she came to know dance. Charmaine was auditioning for the dance troupe at her middle school. How wild is that?! Of course, I immediately thought about Misty Copeland and how her introduction to classical ballet started in a very similar way, across the street from her middle school on the basketball court of a YMCA gym.
When I think about how different these two lives were and how the time frames were totally separate, I could not help but to be stuck on the fact that someway, somehow the dancing lives of these two women meet in very jaw dropping ways . It almost makes me think that there is a set time for something magnificent to happen in the dance world where beautiful gifts and talents are put on display even if the way is unconventional— to inspire the generations to come. Perhaps it is happening right now! It’s like I often say, who will help cultivate the legends of today? There must be a means to such glory.
In 1980 right out of high school, Hunter went on tour with Dance Theatre of Harlem. I have here in my notes “what in the world!!!“. I want you to know that was my honest response. Sometimes I truly wonder if we can get back to the old days of dance. I mean, they were working hard, hungry for the knowledge and doing things that are unthinkable today. In 1980 Sharmaine Hunter went on tour with the Dance Theatre of Harlem and in 2001 Misty Copeland joins the corps de ballet with American Ballet Theater. Are you still keeping up with the similarities? Let’s talk about one that really blew my mind.
I mentioned Misty’s documentary earlier. It is a great film. If you have not seen it you should definitely make time to do so. During that film viewers are taken on a journey that caught now, Principal Ballerina, Misty Copeland by complete surprise. Basically, she suffers an injury and it’s pretty bad. Not only is it a terrible injury, she’s also in excruciating pain. To top it all off she is faced with the reality of having to open at the Metropolitan Opera as the Firebird. (Insert daunting background movie music here.) Wow!, Misty had to make a tough call on whether or not she would indeed step up to the plate and fulfill her cast role. Although she was experiencing the injury, June 2012 was not ready for her grit. Hop on over with me to April 1987 when Charmaine Hunter danced the role of The Firebird because the original dancer, like Misty, had suffered an injury. How crazy is this?
I really learned such great information from this interview. That day as I sat down taking notes I was very grateful. Out of everything I heard, and believe me, I left my page completely filled, there was one more comparison that I just could not shake.
As both Charmaine and Misty faced unconventional decision-making moments at the opening of The Firebird ballet. I am very glad to say this ballet brings both Hunter and Copeland together as the flaming role served as a huge breakout moment in both their careers. What triumph! I walk away from this article realizing that both pain and preparation can be a canvas on which I, you, can create dance history. Perhaps the days of meeting excellence on the daily basis (as Mr. Mitchell would exclaim to his company) can re–emerge.
I am confident that inspiration of this caliber can both push and position dancers today to respect and love our craft— to be ready like Charmaine and resilient like Misty.
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