Misty Copeland Will Take One Final Twirl

Misty Copeland hangs up her pointe shoes on Wednesday, putting a final exclamation point on a trailblazing career in which she became an ambassador for diversity in the very white world of ballet—and a crossover star far beyond. Copeland will be feted in grand style as the American Ballet Theatre devotes a gala evening to her retirement after 25 years with the company, reports the AP. Copeland joined ABT as a teenager and became, a decade ago, the first Black female principal dancer in its 75-year history. The gala will be both a return and a departure for Copeland. She'll be dancing with the company for the first time in five years. During that time, Copeland has been raising a young son with her husband.

She's also been continuing her career as an author—the second volume of her Bunheads series appeared in September—and working to increase diversity in the dance world with her namesake foundation. But Copeland decided to dust off the pointe shoes so she could have one last spin on the ABT stage—including in a duet as Juliet, one of the most passionate roles in ballet. Though she hasn't closed the door on dancing altogether, it's clear an era is ending. "It's been 25 years at ABT," Copeland, 43, said in June when she announced her retirement. "It's time for me to move to the next stage."

She added: "You know, I've become the person that I am today, and have all the opportunities I have today, because of ballet, [and] because of American Ballet Theatre. I feel like this is me saying 'thank you' to the company." The evening at Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater will be streamed live to nearby Alice Tully Hall across the plaza, with attendance free to the public—another sign of Copeland's unique brand of fame.

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Copeland noted that when she leaves ABT, there will no longer be a Black female principal dancer at the company (on the male side, acclaimed dancer Calvin Royal III was promoted to principal in 2020). "It's definitely concerning," Copeland said, noting that this is an especially trying moment for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. "I think all we can really do is keep our heads down and keep doing the work. There's no way to stop the people that feel passionate about this work. We will continue doing it."