Misty Copeland has been hailed as a thoroughly modern ballerina, but as her re-creations of Edgar Degas' iconic dancers show, she knows how to nail the classic look, too.
Dressed in Oscar de la Renta, Alexander McQueen and other pretty pastel couture, Copeland used high fashion to flawlessly re-create artist Edgar Degas' portraits and sculptures of ballerinas for the March issue of Harpers Bazaar.
The photoshoot celebrates an upcoming exhibition at the New York Museum of Modern Art called "Edgar Degas: A Strange New Beauty," which will feature some of the ballet artwork Degas created between the 1860s and his death in 1917.
@harpersbazaarus she channels artist #EdgarDegas's most famous ballet works ahead of a new exhibition at #MOMA, dancer @MistyOnPointe opens up about what it feels like to make history. Go to the link in our bio to read her interview from the March 2016 issue and see the full fashion shoot by Ken Browar and Deborah Ory of @NYCDanceProject, styled by @Michelle_Jank. A photo posted by Misty Copeland (@mistyonpointe) on Feb 10, 2016 at 6:33am PST
Repost By @kristelyulo: "Ballet + Degas + Fashion: Trifecta! RG @harpersbazaarus - Watch #MistyOnPointe channel Edgar Degas' ballerinas. http://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/art-books-music/a14055/misty-copeland-degas-0316/" (via #RapidRepost @AppsKottage) A video posted by Misty Copeland (@mistyonpointe) on Feb 11, 2016 at 5:47am PST
The stunning photo spread is just the latest achievement propelling Copeland's rising star. Last summer, she was the first African-American woman to be named a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre, a far cry from her humble beginnings in Southern California, where she spent some of her childhood in a welfare motel with her mother and five siblings.
Though Copeland has called herself an "unlikely ballerina," she said she sees some of herself in Degas' timeless art, particularly in one of his most iconic works: Little Dancer Aged Fourteen.
One of the images from our photo shoot with Misty Copeland and Harper's Bazaar - the story is coming out in their March issue. @nycdanceproject @mistyonpointe @harpersbazaarus @instagram #edgardegas #nycdanceproject #mistycopeland #harpersbazaar #tutu #ballet #degas #moma A photo posted by NYCDanceProject (@nycdanceproject) on Feb 11, 2016 at 6:35am PST
Misty Copeland and #Degas: Art of Dance https://t.co/hBp4YMBrB4 vía @harpersbazaarus pic.twitter.com/vnXt6T1r8O— Museo Thyssen (@museothyssen) February 12, 2016
"I definitely feel like I can see myself in that sculpture—she just seems content but also reserved," Copeland told Harpers Bazaar. "I was really shy and introverted at that age. I don't even have an image in my head of what I remember a ballerina being or existing before I took a ballet class. Ballet was just the one thing that brought me to life."
@harpersbazaarus As she channels artist #EdgarDegas's most famous ballet works ahead of a new exhibition at #MOMA, dancer @MistyOnPointe opens up about what it feels like to make history. Go to the link in our bio to read her interview from the March 2016 issue and see the full fashion shoot by @KenBrowar and @DeborahOry of @NYCDanceProject, styled by @Michelle_Jank. A photo posted by Misty Copeland (@mistyonpointe) on Feb 10, 2016 at 12:11pm PST
Misty Copeland, Principal dancer with ABT with Alexandre Hammoudi, Soloist with ABT. Hair and makeup by Juliet Jane. Dress by Trash-Couture. We are very excited for our upcoming story with Misty and Harper's Bazaar, coming out Feb 16. @nycdanceproject @mistyonpointe @harpersbazaarus @wibergann @julietjane #harpersbazaar #mistycopeland #nycdanceproject A photo posted by NYCDanceProject (@nycdanceproject) on Feb 10, 2016 at 5:32am PST