Misty Copeland Concludes Historic Ballet Career in Celebrated New York Performance
New York City – Misty Copeland, the first African American woman to become a principal dancer with the American Ballet theater (ABT), concluded her celebrated career Wednesday night at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center. The performance, a tribute to her groundbreaking achievements and 85th anniversary of ABT, was streamed live to Alice Tully Hall and attended by a diverse audience.
copeland’s final performance included iconic roles such as Juliet, danced with Calvin Royal III – ABT’s first Black male principal dancer in two decades – and a modern duet in Kyle Abraham’s Wrecka Stow. She concluded the evening with Twyla Tharp’s Sinatra Suite alongside Herman Cornejo. The program also featured excerpts of ballets performed in Copeland’s honor and reflections on her career through speeches and film clips.
Born in Kansas City, Missouri, and raised in San Pedro, California, Copeland began ballet training at age 13, later studying at the San Francisco Ballet School and ABT on scholarship. She joined ABT as a member of the corps de ballet in April 2001, became a soloist in 2007, and was promoted to principal dancer in June 2015.
“I feel good. I feel ready to take this next step,” Copeland stated on Wednesday before the performance. She emphasized her continued commitment to promoting diversity in ballet, noting, “There’s so much work and effort that has to be continuous.”
The evening culminated in a traditional ballet farewell, with colleagues, teachers, friends, and family offering congratulations and flowers as confetti filled the theater. Copeland’s career has broken barriers and inspired a new generation of dancers, fundamentally changing the landscape of ballet.
