Is it just us, or are Misty Copeland and David Hallberg engaging in a friendly game of one-upmanship outside of the studio? We were (mostly) joking about it after Hallberg signed with Nike, mirroring Copeland’s longstanding relationship with Under Armour (not to mention the fact that as of November, both American Ballet Theatre superstars will […]

In 2012, Misty Copeland was already a star on the American Ballet Theatre stage. But a national ad campaign for Diet Dr. Pepper effec­tively introduced the dancer to a whole new audience. Gilda Squire, Copeland’s manager who negotiated the deal with the brand’s advertising company, says partnering with the soda was a carefully planned move. […]

Misty Copeland doesn’t typically spend her days balancing on demi-pointe in lace-up sneakers, wearing the briefest of running shorts and a T-shirt knotted jauntily above her hips. But Under Armour’s series of “I Will What I Want” ads presents a portrait of this artist as an athlete—in the brand’s athletic wear. And for the makers […]