Misty Copeland Becomes First Black Female Principal at American Ballet Theatre

Misty Copeland

Congrats to Misty Copeland!

The 32-year-old the Missouri-bred was named a principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre on Tuesday. Misty is now the first African-American ballerina to achieve that status in the company’s 75-year history.

The announcement was made by ABT, after Misty made her New York debut in the role of Odette/Odile in “Swan Lake,” one of the most important roles in a ballerina’s repertoire. The emotional performance ended with her being greeted onstage by trailblazing black ballerinas of earlier generations.

Earlier this year, Misty made the cover of Time magazine as one of the most influential figures of 2015. She also wrote a best-selling memoir, “Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina,” in which she recounted the challenges she faced on the road to her hard-won perch in ballet — and which has been optioned for a movie.

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