MISTY COPELAND (b. 1982)
Misty Copeland is an American ballet dancer who, in 2015, became the first African American female principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre (ABT). Copeland has broken ground in roles from Clara in the Nutcracker to Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, published several books, pushed for more diversity in the arts, and is giving back through her charitable organization.
Copeland got a late start in ballet, taking her first class at the age of 13. She knew almost immediately that ballet was what she wanted to do with her life and put her all into training. At age 15, Copeland won first prize in the ballet category of the Los Angeles Music Center Spotlight Awards and, as a result, was later accepted with a full scholarship at the San Francisco Ballet.
In 2000, at the age of 17, Copeland won another full scholarship to ABT’s intensive summer program. At the end of the summer, she was invited to join the ABT studio company for young dancers still in training. Soon after, she became a member of their corps de ballet, the only African American woman in a group of 80 dancers.
In 2007, Copeland became the company’s second African American female Soloist and the first in two decades. In 2015, Copeland was promoted to principal dancer, making her the first African American woman to ever be promoted to the position in the company’s 75-year history.
Though she was challenged by her difference — not only in skin color but also in body type — she climbed the ranks by virtue of her exceptional skill. When asked why ballet, Copeland said she loved it because of the stability it provided her at a time when her life was anything but while also providing a release for things she couldn’t communicate.
In addition to running a production company, Copeland is an avid philanthropist and is an ambassador of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, of which she is also an alum, and MindLeaps, an arts education program based in Rwanda that helps young people get off the streets and into an academic setting to help improve their lives. The Misty Copeland Foundation, launched in 2022, aims to bring greater diversity, equity and inclusion to dance, especially ballet.
If that isn’t enough, Copeland is also a New York Times bestselling author of 5 books, including a children’s picture book titled Bunheads (affiliate link).
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