Misty Copeland Says Being a First-Time Mom Has 'Been Incredible': 'Best Job I've Ever Had'

Topher Gauk-Roger
·2 min read
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Misty Copeland
Misty Copeland
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Frazer Harrison/Getty Misty Copeland

Misty Copeland is loving her new role as mother to her baby boy.

After quietly welcoming her first child Jackson last year, the ballet star, 40, spoke to PEOPLE during "the longest [time] I've been away from him" as she appeared at an event honoring Jerry Moss on Saturday at the Music Center in Los Angeles.

"It's been incredible. Today was really difficult, leaving him," she says, adding: "It's only been nine months, but it's the best job I've ever had."

RELATED: Misty Copeland Secretly Welcomed First Baby 3 Months Ago, Hopes to Return to Ballet in 2023

Crediting "patience" as her most important parenting tool, Copeland explains, "I think I had patience, but even more so, just to be flexible and have patience."

The athlete, who made history in 2015 as the first Black woman promoted to principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre, also expressed her eagerness to return to the stage after getting back into performance shape.

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 21: Ballerina Misty Copeland and boyfriend Olu Evans attend the 2015 Time 100 Gala at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 21, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 21: Ballerina Misty Copeland and boyfriend Olu Evans attend the 2015 Time 100 Gala at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 21, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images)

Taylor Hill/Getty

"I haven't yet done it, so we'll see. I'm still dipping my toes back in and trying to get back in shape," she says. "But I'm excited to have that experience, after creating another human being. I can't wait to see what it feels like to step back on the stage."

The Time 100 honoree revealed exclusively to PEOPLE in July that she and husband Olu Evans had welcomed their first child three months before. "I'm on maternity leave right now," she said at the time.

"I have a 3-month-old. But I will be back on the stage in 2023, hopefully, in the fall," Copeland continued as the family prepared to embark on the baby's first vacation. "We just got Jackson's passport a couple days ago. So we're on our way to Corsica this summer in France."

RELATED VIDEO: Famed Ballerina Misty Copeland on Having Kids: 'I'd Love To...I Come From a Big Family!'

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After 10 years together, Copeland tied the knot with Evans, a corporate attorney, in July 2016. She previously announced their engagement in the September 2015 issue of Essence.