Misty Copeland graced the stage one final time on Wednesday, captivating a devoted audience as she concluded her remarkable tenure with the American Ballet Theatre. Her farewell performance, marked by a shower of glitter and flowers, celebrated her role as a pioneer for diversity within an art form traditionally dominated by white performers.

Ten years after making history as the first Black female principal dancer in the company’s 75-year history, Copeland was honored at a glittering gala held at Manhattan’s Lincoln Center. High-profile admirers like Oprah Winfrey and Debbie Allen paid tribute to her achievements. Winfrey remarked that Copeland embodies pride in womanhood, stating, “She makes me proud to spell my name ‘W-O-M-A-N.’”

Winfrey further emphasized Copeland’s transformative impact, noting, “Misty didn’t just perform ballet; she reinvented it. She broadened the horizons of who belongs, who gets visibility, and who leads.”

For Copeland, 43, the event was both a homecoming and a farewell. It was her first performance with the troupe in five years, a period during which she has embraced motherhood with her husband. Her 3-year-old son, Harrison, joined her onstage during the curtain call, adorably dressed in a tuxedo to embrace his mother.

Beyond the stage, Copeland has pursued a writing career, with the second book of her “Bunheads” series released in September. Additionally, her foundation actively works to enhance diversity in dance, notably through “Be Bold,” an afterschool initiative aimed at inspiring young children of color.

But she decided to dust off the pointe shoes so she could have one last spin on the ABT stage – including a duet 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 male principal dancer in two decades.

The duo later reappeared for another duet, this time a modern one, in “Wrecka Stow,” by Kyle Abraham. For Copeland’s final performance of the night, she performed Twyla Tharp’s “Sinatra Suite” with another of her favorite partners, Herman Cornejo.

The night also included speeches and film clips about Copeland’s career. And her fellow dancers performed additional excerpts of ballets in her honor. At the end, a beaming Copeland was given a quintessential ballet farewell, as colleagues, teachers and friends came out to greet her, one by one, with hugs and bouquets while golden glitter poured from the rafters.

On to the next stage

Though Copeland has not closed the door on dancing altogether, it’s clear an era is ending.

“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 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. So it’s a farewell. (But) it won’t be the end of me dancing. … Never say never.”

The evening at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater was 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 in the dance world.

Copeland was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and raised in San Pedro, California, where she lived in near poverty and through periods of homelessness as her single mother struggled to support her and five siblings.

For a future professional dancer, she came to ballet relatively late – at 13 – but soon excelled and went on to study at the San Francisco Ballet School and ABT on scholarship opportunities. After a stint in the junior company, Copeland joined ABT as a member of the corps de ballet in April 2001, becoming a soloist six years later.

In June 2015, Copeland was promoted to principal dancer. Unlike other promotions, which are announced quietly, Copeland’s was announced at a news conference – a testament to her celebrity. Only days before, she’d made a triumphant New York debut in “Swan Lake” in the starring role of Odette/Odile, drawing a diverse and enthusiastic crowd to the Metropolitan Opera House.

Trying times for DEI efforts

In the AP interview, Copeland acknowledged that it’s striking that when she leaves ABT, there will no longer be a Black female principal dancer at the company.

“It’s definitely concerning,” Copeland said. “I think I’ve just gotten to a place in my career where there’s only so much I can do on a stage. There’s only so much that visual representation … can do. I feel like it’s the perfect timing for me to be stepping into a new role, and hopefully still shaping and shifting the ballet world and culture.”

She also noted this is an especially trying moment for anyone working in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion.

“It’s a difficult time,” she said. “And 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.”