After years of dismissing symptoms, renowned ballet dancer Misty Copeland is opening up about perimenopause—and why recognizing the signs earlier can help women feel more in control.
A lot of things are changing for Misty Copeland. Since taking her final bow at the American Ballet Theater, the trailblazing dancer has been embracing new chapters in her life as she focuses on her work as an author, a philanthropist, a mother, and, most recently, a perimenopausal woman.
“I think one thing that I have learned just from being a dancer is accepting the changes that naturally happen in my body,” Copeland told People magazine. “You get older, you go through injury, you don’t have the same body that you had at 13. Just being able to really be grounded and in touch with who I am and those changes.”
“So it’s been similar, I think, in how I’m kind of approaching [perimenopause], how I’m respecting and giving myself grace as I experience these changes,” she added.
However, it took Copeland time reach this point. At 43 years old, the dancer revealed she initially rolled her eyes at the thought of perimenopause and believed her sudden experiences with acne, brain fog and insomnia were a result of raising a 4-year old.
“I just assumed that it comes with the territory,” she shared. “I think I was in denial about being in this phase of my life. I feel like a lot of women my age don’t wanna talk about it… And, like, it’s okay to accept and have the conversations and be really thoughtful about them.”
Though she laughs at her own change of heart, Copeland now understands the power of these conversations.
“It’s nice to have support and not feel embarrassed or ashamed that you’re going through these things as a woman,” she continues. “It makes me think about when you’re a teenager and getting your period. It’s like, why are we hiding our freaking tampons? This is a part of what we go through as women, and it’s beautiful and it’s normal.”
This inspired her to partner with Thorne for its new Perimenopause Complete supplement, designed to help support women’s mood, sleep, and balance during these transitions.
“I’m so fortunate to have had the platform to be able to speak about my experiences as a dancer, as an athlete, as a woman, as a Black woman, and really about the importance of taking care of yourself,” she shared. “I think it’s important for young people, young women of color to see someone like me in this space and having these conversations.”
“Being able to name it and understand what’s happening internally has been really, really helpful and made me feel more in control and more grounded. I love this place that I’m at and it feels really good,” she concluded.
