On Oct. 22 legendary ballerina Misty Copeland hung up her ballet slippers, marking the end of an extraordinary chapter in dance history. After a trailblazing career, the dancer is ready to step into a new phase in her life. Copeland spent twenty-five years with the American Ballet Theatre, where she became the company’s first African American principal dancer. 

Born in Kansas City, Missouri and raised in Los Angeles, Copeland did not grow up in the traditional world of ballet. Unlike Russian and French ballet dancers who begin training as toddlers, she was captain of her middle school’s drill team. Her coach noticed her natural grace and encouraged her to attend the free ballet classes offered at the local Boys and Girls Club. At thirteen, Copeland attended her first ballet class, spending afternoons at the Boys and Girls Club until her mother finished work.

Her ballet instructor, Cynthia Bradley, invited Copeland to train at her small ballet school. Before long, Bradley was picking Copeland up from school and taking her to ballet classes. When Copeland’s mother was no longer able to afford her training, Bradley offered to sponsor her. Copeland moved in with the Bradley family and began homeschooling in tenth grade to dedicate more time to dance.

By 1999, Copeland earned a spot in the American Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensive Program. While Copeland was asked to join the Studio Company afterwards, her mother insisted that she return home and finish her senior year of high school. The following summer, Copeland returned to the summer program, and out of the 150 dancers, she was one of only six offered a spot in the ballet company’s junior dance troupe. 

In 2015, after fifteen years of dancing with the American Ballet Theatre, Copeland was promoted to principal dancer. She was the first African American principal dancer in the 75-year history of the American Ballet Theatre, and one of the very few African American ballet dancers to reach that rank in any major ballet company. 

Shortly before the pandemic, Copeland suffered a back injury that led her to step away from the stage. She has since focused on raising her son, born in 2022. In October of 2025, she performed at the American Ballet Theatre’s fall gala to commemorate her retirement from the company. 

Additionally, Copeland has danced in Disney’s “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” and performed at the 2019 American Music Awards and the 2020 Grammy Awards. She served on the President’ Council of Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, was named one of Time’s 100 most influential people and received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from New York University in 2023. 

Throughout her career, Copeland has been a passionate advocate for accessibility and diversity in dance. For much of her career, Copeland was the only African American dancer in the American Ballet Theatre. Her Misty Copeland Foundation aims to make ballet more inclusive and affordable. While she may have taken her final bow, Copeland continues to inspire, ensuring that ballet’s future is as diverse and dynamic as the legacy she leaves behind.