Misty Copeland: The Exit Interview
Reflecting on Misty Copeland’s Legacy as She Prepares to Retire From American Ballet Theatre
As Misty Copeland’s groundbreaking career with American Ballet Theatre comes to an end, she’s feeling contemplative. “I think back to my first tour with ABT and it feels so long ago,” Copeland says. During her 25 years at the company, she became known as a maverick; an exacting, singular artist; and a global icon. A self-described introvert, the power of her voice has grown alongside her platform.
But while making time to look backward, she’s ready to look forward, too. Her professional journey is far from over. “I’m not leaving—it’s just the end of my time at ABT,” she says.
Copeland spoke with Dance Magazine about her career thus far and what excites her about the future—her own, and the ballet world’s.
How did you know that it was time to leave ABT?
I will continue performing and dancing in some capacity, but I never saw myself doing classical works into my 40s. And I’ve always thought when the time comes that I don’t have the same kind of drive and passion, I shouldn’t be doing it. 2019 was when I started to feel that.
There are so many other things that I could be doing to accomplish my longtime goal of bringing more equity and awareness of ballet’s lack of diversity, and finding ways to meet people where they are in communities like I grew up in. That started to override how I felt about being onstage.
My last performance I was supposed to do with ABT was Giselle at the Kennedy Center in 2019, and I ended up with a stress fracture in my back. I had to pull out the day of the show, and I wasn’t sad. I thought, This is the sign I should not be doing this. Because every other time [getting injured], it’s devastating. Then the pandemic hit, and I needed that time to reassess what I wanted to do. It felt organic and natural.
Over the last five years, I’ve been very clear about what I wanted. It’s just been hard to get other people on board. ABT has wanted me back, and has said, “Your audiences deserve that.” Not until this year, after having many conversations with my mentors, did I feel like I was ready to go back onstage—to say “thank you” to the company, my incredible coaches and colleagues, and the amazing audiences who have supported me.
How has your relationship with ABT evolved over time?
It’s been my family for 25 years. Recently, I was talking with [director of repertoire] Luciana Paris, who was in the company with me, about my first placement class at ABT’s summer intensive when I was 16. I was overcome in the best way, like “I cannot believe that I get to be here.” I’ve felt that throughout my career.
I feel so fortunate that [longtime artistic director] Kevin McKenzie embraced my uniqueness, and heard me, and challenged me, and gave me opportunities again and again. So many of the Black dancers who have come through this company weren’t given those opportunities.
It’s been like your relationship with your parents changing from childhood to adulthood. It’s me growing up and maturing, and being open, communicative, and honest as I’ve changed and evolved.
What are the highest highs and the lowest lows of your professional experience in the ballet world thus far?
They’re so intertwined. The journey to these high places can be devastating and exhausting. A lot of the lows have been around people who couldn’t see my talent, didn’t believe in me, and were not afraid to shout it. I feel like I’ve been in a different position from a lot of dancers in that I’ve been a very public figure for a long time, so I see and hear a lot of that negativity. Also, being a Black dancer and being one of the only ones, I was working against a lot when I was already in such a vulnerable field and performing night after night.
I would definitely say that the highs have been the relationships I’ve developed traveling the world with these incredible friends, getting to do what I love, and seeing the shift in the audiences that have come into the theater to see ballet. I’m so proud of that. I’m doing the work now to grow that interest and audience.
Where do you think ballet is still falling short, and where have you seen progress?
It’s so hard to get people to break free of the trauma of abusive teaching that is unfortunately still prevalent in the ballet world. Many dancers have endured harsh, fear-based training methods rooted in humiliation, body shaming, and unrealistic demands. While some teachers have believed this was the “traditional” way to push dancers, it can cause lasting emotional and physical harm. The BE BOLD teaching artists [at the Misty Copeland Foundation] are committed to breaking that cycle. That’s what I’ve structured my foundation around. I know that it’s possible to create a nurturing environment and to teach from a joyful place. I think that the biggest change I’ve seen is the willingness to have an open dialogue about [ballet’s shortcomings]. When I joined the corps de ballet in 2001, we were not openly having those conversations. Now, it’s so wonderful that we can have these discussions in a real way. It’s not a fad. It’s been years now that people have been trying to make change. It’s just, how are we doing it, and is it sustainable?
How do you imagine ballet’s future?
I feel so hopeful for the future of ballet. I think that there are a lot of incredibly talented and smart, forward-thinking people who are involved and coming into leadership roles in big schools and companies. I’m hopeful that [ABT] will continue to keep people involved who will push them and challenge them. I want to continue to be involved in some way.
We’re not trying to erase history and legacy, but what does tradition really mean? That’s something I often grapple with. History is fact, and we learn from it. But is tradition always positive, or are we holding onto things only because that’s the way they’ve always been done?
How have friends, colleagues, and the public reacted to your retirement announcement?
People are not shocked. I think that the colleagues who were in the company with me and are still there were hoping I’d return for a full season, so they’re feeling a bit like it’s the end of an era. It’s a big transition, but it’s always been so important to me, when it’s my time, to really step away, because there are so many amazing dancers who deserve the opportunity.
Overall, the reaction has been a little sad, but I’m also excited about what I’ll continue to do, which is arts education, dance education, moving us forward.
What will your final performance look like?
I wanted this to be a time for me to feel good on the stage, and also do pieces that have been meaningful throughout my career. I love the more dramatic acting roles, so there will be some of that. Twyla [Tharp] will be involved, because she’s been a big part of my career since I was 16 years old. I think the first thing I did in the ABT summer program was Push Comes to Shove, one of the lead roles, and she came in and coached us.
I’m having a new work created, which is important for me too, because I want to be looking to the future and choreographers that I believe in and respect. I wanted both the Studio Company and the company to perform, because that was my journey, going through that pipeline. There’ll be three different pieces that I’ll perform, and then the company and Studio Company will perform different pieces.
I want it to feel like a celebration, and not something that drags on for hours. That was my number-one request. In my first meeting with [artistic director] Susan Jaffe, I said, “I don’t want this to be long. I want people to be like, ‘Oh, my God, it’s already over.’ ”
Is there anything else that you can share about what you’ll be doing going forward?
I’ve been so fortunate that, throughout my journey at ABT, I had started to already plant a lot of those seeds through writing and traveling, doing speaking engagements. It’s really been the last decade that I’ve been doing this, so I will continue doing those things. Over the last four years, I’ve had my production company, and we have a lot of great projects in development.
All of this is with dance in mind. How do we use the arts as a tool for developing transferable life skills? How do we get content out there that reflects the dance community in a positive light? Because there’s so much that continues these [negative] tropes, and that doesn’t do us justice.
What are you looking forward to after that final show?
I can’t wait to continue to be a fan and sit in the audience and watch ABT grow and evolve, and watch all of the dancers and their careers. It’s exciting to be part of such an incredible legacy of a company and of dancers that I’ve looked up to since I was 13 years old, and so I feel immensely grateful.
