NEW YORK — NEW YORK (AP) — Misty Copeland donned pointe shoes covered in gold sequins and bouquets for the last time Wednesday. retired from American Ballet Theater after a groundbreaking career in which she became an ambassador for diversity in a predominantly white art form.
Copeland, who a decade ago became the first black principal dancer in the company's 75-year history, was honored at its star-studded fall gala at Lincoln Center in Manhattan. Oprah Winfrey and Debbie Allen were among those who gave eulogies.
Winfrey spoke about the power of young people of color, seeing Copeland lead iconic ballets like Swan Lake.
“Misty didn’t just do ballet,” Winfrey said of the successful ballerina. the unique glory of a crossover. “She changed that. She redefined who belongs, who can be seen, and who should lead.”
In some ways, the gala was both a return and a departure for Copeland, 43. She danced with the troupe for the first time in five years. All this time, Copeland and her husband raised their son Jackson. The three-year-old boy took to the stage to hug his mother during the curtain call, wearing a tuxedo.
Copeland also continues her writing career—the second volume of her Bunheads series was released in September—and works to increase diversity in the dance world through her eponymous foundation, including Be Bold, an afterschool program serving young children of color.
But she decided to dust off her pointe shoes to take the ABT stage one last time, including as Juliet, one of the most passionate roles in ballet and her personal favorite. Copeland's Romeo in the balcony pas de deux was Calvin Royal III, who in 2020 became ABT's first black soloist in two decades.
The duo later appeared again in another duet, this time modern, on Kyle Abraham's “Wrecka Stow.” For Copeland's final performance of the night, she performed Twyla Tharp's “Sinatra Suite” with another of her favorite partners, Herman Cornejo.
The evening, which also celebrated ABT's 85th anniversary and was largely curated by Copeland herself, included speeches and videos about her career. And her fellow dancers performed excerpts from ballets in her honor. At the end, a beaming Copeland was given a typical ballet farewell as colleagues, teachers, friends and family came out one by one to greet her with hugs and bouquets as glittering confetti rained from the rafters.
Although Copeland did not completely close the door on dance, it is clear that an era is coming to an end.
“It's been 25 years at ABT and I think it's time,” she told The Associated Press in an interview in June when she announced her departure. “I have to go move to next step“
She added, “You know, I'm the person I am today and I have all the opportunities that I have today because of ballet (and) because of American Ballet Theatre. I feel like I'm saying 'thank you' to the company. So this is goodbye. (But) this is not the end of my dancing… Never say never.”
On the carpet Wednesday before her performance, she said, “I feel good. I feel ready to take the next step.” She noted that she will continue her work to promote diversity: “It’s so much work and effort that needs to be ongoing.”
Allen told reporters that Copeland “helped redefine ballet. She has inspired millions of people around the world, and hopefully American Ballet Theater won't have to wait another 50 years before they have another beautiful black female principal dancer.”
The evening at Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater was broadcast live to the nearby Alice Tully Hall across the square, and admission was free to the public—another sign of Copeland's unique prominence in the dance world.
Copeland was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and grew up in San Pedro, California, where she lived in near poverty and experienced periods of homelessness as her single mother struggled to support her and her five siblings.
For a future professional dancer, she came to ballet relatively late – at age 13 – but soon excelled and continued her studies at the San Francisco Ballet School and ABT, receiving a scholarship. After working in the junior company, Copeland joined ABT as a member of the corps de ballet in April 2001 and became a principal dancer six years later.
In June 2015, Copeland was promoted to soloist. Unlike other promotions that are announced quietly, Copeland's promotion was announced at a press conference, a testament to her fame. Just days earlier, she had made her triumphant New York debut in Swan Lake in the title role of Odette/Odile, drawing a diverse and enthusiastic crowd to the Metropolitan Opera.
In an interview with the AP, Copeland said it was striking that when she left ABT, the company would no longer have a black lead singer.
“It’s definitely a concern,” Copeland said. “I think I've just gotten to the point in my career where I can only do so much on stage. Visual performance… can do so much. I feel like this is the perfect time for me to step into a new role and hopefully continue to shape and change the ballet world and culture.”
She also noted that this is a particularly difficult time for everyone working in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion.
“This is a difficult time,” she said. “And I think all we can really do is keep our heads down and keep working. You can't stop people who are passionate about this work. We'll keep doing it.”
___ Associated Press video journalist John Carucci contributed from New York. This story has been corrected to show that Copeland's son is named Jackson, not Harrison.
