Today the world of Dance bids Farewell to the amazing Principal Dancer Misty Copeland, the first Black Principal Dancer with The American Ballet Theatre, who is retiring after a 25 years career with the company! We congratulate Misty Copeland on your beautiful trajectory, thank your tireless work to make classical ballet a more inclusive art, opening up more opportunities for future generations of dancers and we wish all the best on your next projects! 👏🏻⭐️🩰 Misty Copeland in The Nutcracker a

Ballerina Misty Copeland, who became the first Black female principal dancer in the history of the American Ballet Theatre in New York ten years ago, performed for the last time on the ballet stage on Wed., Oct. 22, 2025. In this Dec. 14, 2014 profile, Anthony Mason visited with the breakthrough star who’d joined ABT’s corps de ballet in 2001, and she described how change is coming slowly to the world of classical dance. | CBS Sunday Morning

Misty Copeland, the first Black woman to serve as a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre, takes an emotional final bow after her farewell performance for the company. | USA TODAY