Who is Misty Copeland? American Ballet Theatre’s first Black female principal dancer retires
Ballet’s brightest star and ABT’s first Black female principal dancer, Misty Copeland, retires after decades of breaking barriers and reshaping the art form.
The American Ballet Theatre’s first Black female principal dancer, Misty Copeland, will make her final appearance this week, ending a career that broke barriers and changed ballet for good.
A graceful farewell at the ABT Gala
The 42-year-old will be honored at ABT’s Fall Gala in New York on Wednesday, October 22, where Oprah Winfrey and Debbie Allen are set to lead tributes. For her last performance, Copeland will dance pieces from Romeo and Juliet and Sinatra Suite, plus a brand-new work created for her by choreographer Kyle Abraham.
In a short Instagram post, ahead of the gala, she wrote, “Although I’ll be saying farewell to the stage, I’ll always be committed to opening doors and making ballet a place where everyone belongs.”
The tickets are priced at $5000, but the ABT is also offering free tickets for a live simulcast at the Alice Tully Hall, located a block away from the main event.
Misty Copeland's ballet career: from a late start to a historic rise
Her journey started far from New York. Copeland was 13 when she first stepped into a dance studio in California - an age considered almost too late for ballet.
But she caught up fast. By 18, she had joined ABT’s corps de ballet. Seven years later, she became a soloist. In 2015, she made history as the company’s first Black woman principal dancer.
“Her legacy at ABT is profound,” said Susan Jaffe, ABT’s artistic director. “Misty is a once in a generation artist,” she added, “her impact will resonate far beyond this moment.”
But her rise was not easy. Copeland has spoken openly about being told to lighten her skin for certain roles and feeling out of place among mostly white peers, on an episode of Max’s “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?”
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Breaking barriers in ballet
From pointe shoes in darker tones to launching the Misty Copeland Foundation, which funds free dance programs for kids who might never otherwise get the chance, she used her fame to push for inclusivity.
India Bradley, the first Black female soloist at New York City Ballet, called her a trailblazer, per CNN. “She left a snail trail for us to glide down a lot easier than the women before her." she said.
FAQs:
Why is Misty Copeland retiring?
She said it was time to focus on creating opportunities for others and expanding access to ballet beyond performance.
When and where is Misty Copeland’s final performance?
Her farewell performance takes place at the American Ballet Theatre Fall Gala in New York on Wednesday.
What made Misty Copeland’s career historic?
She became ABT’s first Black female principal dancer in 2015 and inspired greater diversity in ballet.
