‘I Changed Ballet’: Misty Copeland Takes Her Final Bow in Retirement Show | Ballet

Misty Copeland took one last spin on her pointy-toed shoes Wednesday night, filled with gold sparkles and bouquets of flowers, as she retired from American Ballet Theater after a pioneering career in which she became an ambassador for diversity in the predominantly white arts field.

Copeland, who a decade ago became the first black principal dancer in the company’s 75-year history, was honored at a star-studded fall gala at Lincoln Center in Manhattan. Oprah Winfrey and Debbie Allen were among those who delivered speeches of praise.

Winfrey spoke of the power of young people of color who see Copeland leading popular ballets like Swan Lake.

“Misty didn’t just do ballet,” Winfrey said of the ballerina who achieved unique fame. “It changed it. It redefined who belonged, who could be seen, and who could lead.”

In a way, the concert was both a homecoming and a departure for Copeland, 43. She was dancing with the company for the first time in five years. During that time, Copeland raised her son, Jackson, with her husband. The three-year-old took to the stage to hug his mother during curtain calls wearing a tuxedo.

Copeland has also continued her career as an author — the second volume of the Bunheads series appeared in September — and is working to increase diversity in the dance world through her namesake foundation, including Be Bold, an after-school program designed for young children of color.

But she decided to dust off her ballet shoes so she could do one last turn on the ABT stage — including the role of Juliet, one of the most emotional roles in ballet and her personal favorite. Romeo Copeland’s balcony pas de deux was Calvin Royal III, who in 2020 became ABT’s first black principal dancer in two decades.

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

The night, which also celebrated ABT’s 85th anniversary and was largely organized by Copeland herself, included speeches and film clips about her career. Her fellow dancers performed excerpts from the ballet in her honor.

In the end, an elated Copeland bid farewell to Ballet, as colleagues, teachers, friends and family came out to greet her, one by one, with hugs and bouquets as confetti fell from the rafters.

“I feel good. I feel like I’m ready to take that next step,” she said on the carpet Wednesday before her performance. She indicated that she will continue her work to promote diversity: “There is a lot of work and effort that must be ongoing.”

The evening at Lincoln Center’s David H Koch Theater was broadcast live to nearby Alice Tully Hall across the arena, with free attendance for the audience — another sign of Copland’s unique reputation in the world of dance.

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

For a future professional dancer, she came to ballet relatively late – at the age of 13 – but she quickly excelled and went on to study at the San Francisco Ballet School and ABT for 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.