Football and Classical Ballet

What do a former football player and a ballerina have in common? Football and classical ballet? Nothing, you might think. But if you look closely, you’ll find more similarities than not. Both require hard work and discipline. Both require sacrifice and focus. Both require passion.

Sean James co-founder and president of Student Athletes appears with Misty Copeland, soloist with American Ballet Theatre, in the video below, merging sports with the arts. The video helps promote James’ foundation which supports students by inspiring them to follow their passion through education, the arts and athletics.

“Education creates opportunity.” – Sean James

Football and classical ballet come together in “Athlete Meets Artist”

Misty Copeland made history by becoming the third African American female soloist and first in two decades, at American Ballet Theatre. Misty shares her thoughts on what it takes to achieve in the world of ballet, and the discipline and dedication to be a professional Ballerina/Athlete.

Video from Vimeo. (If you have a slow connection, please pause video and allow to load…enjoy!)

The mission of the Sean James Student Athlete Foundation or SJSA is:

 …to provide youth who have achieved academic success and display a passion for sports and the arts the opportunity to attend sports and creative arts camps throughout the country. It is our hope that this interaction will promote their interaction with peers from different backgrounds and will further expose them to new experiences and surroundings which will ultimately foster their personal growth.

James and Misty Copeland together create visual beauty in the SJSA Foundation Book. Photographer Richard Corman captures James’ athleticism and juxtaposes it with Copeland’s elegance. You can preview the book on blurb.com.

Joining two apparently opposite disciplines as football and classical ballet is a creative way of bringing attention to the need to help young students in our communities to realize their dreams through mentorship and education.

If you want to be a part of this magnificent program please click here to purchase James’ book and also please “share” this article with your  friends.