Misty Copeland talks debut film project "Flower"

small, guess, follows a that might be the first question of the day. >> Trailblazing ballerina Misty Copeland is blending art and activism through her latest project Flower. >> It's a 28 minute film that pays homage to black, silent films of the 1920's Flower Polina Tribeca Festival. >> And you can see it this Saturday at Lincoln Centr. Flower is Missy's Davey projects with her life in Motion. Productions company fell Oakland. It sheds light on on the housing crisis there and then draws attention to issues like gentrification and homelessness. >> produced and starred in the film making it her first performance since the pandemic becoming a new mom. I'm sorry, I am so. Entranced by watching this. got to read the words. Hello, for having me. And congratulations really got to follow us on a Graham. If I don't already, I might. >> You never know. How do you then? I've been busy. I great. I've got a lot of stuff going on. I know we last. I saw you literally less. There is yes, walking the red carpet in the sea of humanity. You stood out like a thing to do that. At least it was for like water for chocolate to ballet theater. They just opened. There's their summer great to be there and sharing my colleagues on and seeing this incredible new production by Christopher Wheeldon >> It was wonderful. Yeah. There were a lot of ballerinas in the audience yet a mere mortal enemies during the halftime intermission looking behind like that is not a mere mortal. That is a dance that has in a city that it was a show and then it was a But we're here to talk about flower. Yes. >> Talk to us about the inspiration for this film. Why decide to explore this topic and in the way that you decide I mean, it's great that we were just talking about American Ballet theater in like water for chocolate. I think it's an incredible story that draws people and really w having read. If you read the book or seen the film. >> And connected to Mexican culture. So to me that such a big part what I want to do in terms of bringing more people broadening the valley audience. And so to Thouand ballet structured story on film. So there's no dialogue. That's why it's a silent film and really showing the power of dance and the power of movement in that you don't need words for people to understand. It's a universal language. So it's really the impotence of starting it. And then you want tell a story that can connect to many communities. So we looked Oakland, California, which is community really dear to my heart. My husband's point race there and looking at what the community is going through and we filmed during COVID. So it was really a difficult time for that community with gentrification and housing crisis and homelessness and houselessness and to be able to tell a story that's really reflective of what so many communities in America are experiencing. It's at its core, very reliable model. are in some ways. but I wonder if you maybe we'll talk us about the approach in in the creative process of translating. >> Ballet. Into the medium of And if there were any sort of challenges unique to just that, might come along with it. Yeah, I mean, I think just kind of reedy working in rethinking the way that you're telling the story. >> You're not in front of an audience of 3,000, you know, having project to the person in the top tier, right? You in the balcony, But thinking about the the little details of what it is to tell a story with your body and it's the opposite of kind of what we do in ballet where it's over the top and I'm kind of toning those things down. But again, using the technique in a different way. It's not just ballet that you see in this film. You see turf dancing, which is the street dance form was created on the streets of Oakland, California, and to bring these 2 forms of dance together in a seamless way. So it's not, you know, the ballerina yet on. If pop dancers trying to fit into that style vice versa. But it's really these 2 different languages coming together. so that was a bit of a challenge. But I think that it turned out beautifully. I can't wait to see. I keep staring at the screen wash all of So wonder how then do you take this art form of ballet >> and, you know, when you're on the stage, you do have that instant gratification. When we write like want there were moments where the literally you could hear people ask for the animals left. How do you translate that into film? How do you take experience of I'm not giving away too much, but your character is obviously dealing with the challenge of an aging mother. How do you translate that into the dance and then and then also sort of maintain yourself as Misty Copeland, too? >> Well, in the film my. It wasn't my intention to maintain the I'm really portraying a character as I do in every valley that I'm performing. >> And you know what we do in the rehearsal, Stu, we spend I'd say 90% of our time in the rehearsal. Students really about the process. It's not so much about the performance is not just people think it something there in 5th we more time in the studio really preparing for these roles. So to me that was like a very familiar things to be able to do that on on set. But you're not you're not in the studio waiting for an applause are waiting for Reaction and response. So that to me was still very familiar that you have to learn to if for no one in front of the mirror every single day. When you're preparing, we're not just athletes dancers, but we're actors and actresses as So that's something I've been preparing for it since I 13 years old. So wasn't that unfamiliar to do that on film? She's a pro. I'm I'm when I'm wondering about the reverse to. I don't know if I can do what we do. And I mean, I know other if you have a live audience, thousands watching right there, they're 2 very different experiences. And for me, it's really just being present and Inge and enjoying the problem being on stage that it's an exciting element when bring >> We talked about the importance bringing the Mexican story goes to mass audiences. Your E trailblazer of yourself, the first black. >> Ballerina with ABT. It is important because at 48 born and raised in the city, first time I went to a ballet and because no one looked like me, right? And it's not that I didn't love Yeah. So first of all, congratulations on doing this work. Where do you see it going from here? We just have to. First of all, I'm so happy that you made it to about But, you know, I think that it's it's something that we all have to be conscious of and be a part of like contributing I'm going to stop doing the work. You know, it's really about changing the stories that we're putting up on the stage so that they are really double to different communities and people can see themselves reflected. But it doesn't. It's not just about the people in age. It's board of directors says the teachers, they're teaching in schools. So there's a lot of work to be done. And I would not going to stop. >> thank you and talk to us before know that we have going on at Lincoln Center. yes, the Saturday you can, film is going to be screening at 8.30, but you should arrive at 7.30 so you can get your Dam, Rush You're going get to see the film. A live performance I'll be speaking afterwards. there's a silent disco. I forgot about that part is a silent disco. really ties into silent film aspect of it. But everyone's got their headphones on. And the this goes this is a dynamic it so and I'm at so it's going to be whole evening. asked I know what you're doing, where we Congratulations on everything you've Everything you have yet to do it. So it's to see so much. Thank Grace us. >> All right. Well, still ahead, we're introducing you to the adoptable dogs were in need of a forever home. A new leash on life. That's coming up my favorite say is that an actor, Christopher Convery joins us live with the scoop on his latest role in the turbulent thriller. Prisoners around us. That's the wind guys. Are they here? They're here. I felt white wines for summer at all price. >> All that. Coming up after the break. We'll be back look at the little swirl sniff