Reflecting on Misty Copeland’s Legacy as She Prepares to Retire From American Ballet Theatre

Read Dance Magazine‘s interview with Misty Copeland on her career so far, retiring from American Ballet Theatre, and what excites her about the future of ballet

Misty Copeland’s final bow at American Ballet Theatre—after 25 years at the company, 10 of them as a principal dancer—marks the end of an era. The first African American woman to reach the company’s top rank, she has changed the face and culture of ballet, moving the art form forward. And despite changing social and political tides, her legacy seems poised to endure. 

Copeland, whose last performance with ABT is scheduled for October 22, introduced the world to a new kind of ballerina. She achieved the success denied many Black female ballet dancers before her, and her voice was as clear and valued offstage as it was onstage. An artist of technical and artistic brilliance, she has advocated for racial justice, empowered artists to take charge of their own careers, and revealed the physical and emotional effort behind the beauty of ballet.

By opening doors for Black and brown dancers and publicly overcoming adversity, Copeland transcended dance. She fostered a sense of belonging. Through her visible hard work and determination, she challenged one of ballet’s elitist norms: that women can only wield power through the illusion of effortless strength, and that success should appear not as the product of overt striving, but only as a kind of innate gift.

Copeland came from humble beginnings, starting in ballet classes at her local Boys & Girls Club of America at the age of 13. Years later, she danced onstage with Prince, who taught her to embrace her uniqueness and pursue more creative freedom than classical ballet typically allowed. Her appearances in his 2009 music video for “Crimson and Clover” and at his live performances were critical in introducing her to audiences beyond ballet theatergoers, helping to lay the groundwork for her future.

As she recounts in her memoir, Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina, Copeland bucked ballet tradition by directly asking her artistic director for opportunities. She also accepted speaking engagements and ad campaigns to champion diversity in ballet and widely share her talent, before she became a principal. This approach has been both praised and criticized within the ballet world. For those at the bottom of ballet’s conventional power structure, innovative disruption can be viewed as disobedience. To me, the breadth and value of Copeland’s impact has always been clear.

Today, major ballet companies like American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet have more Black dancers than in years past. Artists like Ingrid Silva, Harper Watters, and India Bradley have performed coveted roles and garnered hundreds of thousands of online followers. This change is, no doubt, partially due to Copeland’s influence. But she has also given credit to her predecessors, whose work she has built upon. Her 2021 book, Black Ballerinas: My Journey to Our Legacy, sheds light on 27 Black women in ballet from the past and present, including legends such as her late mentor Raven Wilkinson, Janet Collins, Marion Cuyjet, and Debra Austin. She has continued to discuss the long-underrecognized legacies of trailblazing Black dancers in interviews and on her social media accounts, highlighting their resolve and talent.

Artistically, Copeland proved her skill and charisma throughout her career. After her promotion to soloist in 2007, she shined in such roles as Swanilda in Coppélia, Gamzatti in La Bayadère, and, perhaps most significantly, the title character in The Firebird, attracting the kind of diverse audiences previously rare at ABT—or most other large ballet companies. Her compelling presence, acting ability, and versatility enabled her to conquer classical roles like Juliet and Odette/Odile, along with contemporary pieces by choreographers like Kyle Abraham and Marcelo Gomes. Her creative work as a whole—which includes performing on Broadway as Miss Turnstiles in On the Town, appearing in a Drake music video, and co-founding a film company, Life in Motion Productions—helped usher in a new era of artistic liberty for women in ballet.

Copeland’s success helped spur the rise of the ballerina with crossover appeal. Her aesthetic projected grace and easy confidence to both dance fans and the general public. On social media and during public appearances, she came across as a woman fueled by passion for her art, but not unhealthily consumed by it. She was—and remains—accessibly otherworldly.

As an activist for diversity, Copeland has exemplified leadership at a time when ballet has just begun to recognize the importance of supporting dancer well-being. She served as an advisor to ABT’s Project Plié, a scholarship program that launched in 2013 for students and interns of color. In 2021, she opened the Misty Copeland Foundation, a nonprofit organization­ with a mission to bring greater diversity, equity, and inclusion to dance, with a focus on ballet. Copeland’s work has helped others believe in their own potential, in their own ability to defy the odds.

I interned at ABT in the summer of 2018. One day, while I was walking through the halls of the company’s headquarters, a young brown man walking near me exclaimed, “Yaaas! This diversity. Thank Misty”—the way some might say “Thank God!”

Thank Misty, indeed.