Prima ballerina Misty Copeland, 39, secretly welcomed her first baby three months ago without letting the press know.
She and her husband, Olu Evans, named their newborn son– Jackson. Misty told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview. The former dancer for Prince and the first Black prima ballerina in the American Ballet Theatre said that she was on maternity leave for the moment, but she has intentions to return to dance soon.
“I will be back on the stage in 2023, hopefully, in the fall.”
In the meantime, Misty has taken up leisurely activities in her spare time with her son. She told interviewers about her Baby Jackson’s first upcoming travel experience.
“We’re on our way to Corsica this summer in France,” she said.
“We just got Jackson’s passport a couple days ago.”
The interview was the first time she brought Baby Jackson into the spotlight, and she assured fans that it was intentional. She made it a point to keep her life out of work away from cameras.
“My personal life I’ve really kept pretty private my whole career. Definitely, with my son, I wouldn’t have him probably be on camera for anything,” the elite performer explained. “But when it comes to my career and what I’m doing, I’m really open.”
Her career since has been extensive and professionally impressive, and the balancing act of raising a child isn’t easy. She told PEOPLE that she had an excellent support system that allowed her to do so. “It’s never easy, but I wouldn’t be able to do it without having a support system,” Misty shared. “My husband is incredible, and he’s an amazing dad. He’s been there for me throughout my entire career to help me to be able to balance those things.”
“But you have to make sacrifices. I’m not at big events every night and out partying and going to dinners. I have to make sacrifices to be able to do all the things that I want to do.”
Misty allowed an in-depth look into her life once in 2015 for a documentary called A Ballerina’s Tale. The piece followed Black ballerina Misty and her journey to become the first African American woman to be a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre through her serious injury and navigating against the themes of race and body image in the ballet scene.
