Under Armour announced the addition of American Ballet Theatre soloist Misty Copeland to its talent roster. As part of the multi-year partnership, Copeland will be featured in Under Armour’s largest marketing campaign to-date for its women’s brand in 2014.
Copeland cemented her status as a trailblazer in 2007 when she became the first African-American female soloist in twenty years at American Ballet Theatre, the second in the history of the company. Her path to success was an untraditional one; she took her first ballet class at age 13, considerably later than most of her peers. But the prodigal ballerina defied expectations to clinch first place in the prestigious Los Angeles Spotlight Awards by age 15. A role model for diversification within the traditional art form, Copeland also overcame early criticism as a ballerina with a full-figured body type.
“Misty Copeland is a game changer,” said Leanne Fremar, Under Armour, SVP and Executive Creative Director, Under Armour Women’s. “Just as Under Armour is changing our consumer's expectations around performance gear by infusing it with style and design, Misty is changing the world's view of what it means to be a world-class ballerina. She brings a modern athleticism to a very traditional art form and pushes the boundaries of the status quo definition of the word 'athlete.'”
“Joining the Under Armour family feels like a natural fit since they have always championed hard work and strong women,” Copeland said. “In addition to supporting me with innovative performance products that give me an edge in my training, Under Armour will be a great partner to help me inspire women as they find the will to pursue their goals.”
Copeland is the latest addition to Under Armour’s elite roster of groundbreaking female athletes that have broken barriers to reach the top of their respective fields, including world champion downhill skier Lindsey Vonn and professional tennis player Sloane Stephens.
