Misty Copeland Writes About Diversity in Ballet December 19, 2014 by Leigh Purtill A brown swan in the very white world of ballet, Misty Copeland painted her skin a different color in order to play roles in Giselle and Sylvia. 1957? 1977? Nope – 2007. Leigh Purtill looks at Misty’s memoir Life in Motion.