Misty Copeland has been a professional ballerina for the past 25 years at the American Ballet Theatre. In 2015 she made history when she became the first Black principal dancer at the legendary company, which has inspired countless young dancers. When she joined the company back in 2000, she was the only Black woman dancer for the following decade. At 43 years old, the star celebrated her life accompaniments by taking the stage one final time at the David H. Koch Theatre during ABT's Fall Gala on October 22 in New York City, as she gracefully bowed into retirement.
HELLO! exclusively joined in on the festivities during the lively red carpet prior to her performance and the star shared the one piece of advice she would give to a young aspiring ballerina. Misty expressed: "I think that it's really about, first of all, knowing why you're doing this, believing in yourself, but it's easier said than done." She suggested that having a supportive circle around is a must and she added: "It's like surrounding yourself with people who believe in you, are going to encourage you, and be there on those days when you don't believe in yourself and you're exhausted, and just really finding the joy and the passion in this."
After Misty performed, the night's honorary grand chair Oprah Winfrey, who is a fellow trailblazer in her career field, took the stage to commended Misty's impressive resume and lasting mark on the dance world. Other celebrities such as Gayle King, Jim Parsons, Dave Winfield, Brooks Nader and Deborah Roberts also attended the final performance. Although Misty is retiring from the company, she is planning to continue to dance even if it's not on stage at Lincoln Center.
During her 25 years at ABT, the performer made sure to help give an offering hand to marginalized young dancers. She launched her initiative called Project Plie, which was later changed to ABT Rise. The initiative invited underrepresented youth to have a safe environment to learn and grow at ABT. In 2015 she co-founded Life in Motion, which is a production company for dancers. Misty has also been a committed board member at both Lincoln Center and The Shed.
In 2021, she launched the Misty Copeland Foundation which emphasizes equity in the arts. On top of that, she also started an after-school program called "Be Bold." Misty is a New York Times best-selling author of numerous works including Life in Motion, Ballerina Body and Black Ballerinas. She also published two picture books called Bunheads and Firebird.
Throughout her decades-long career, she has proactively fought for diversity and inclusion when it comes to ballet. She may have gotten the door open for herself, but she's holding the door wide open for everyone behind her.