After 25 years with the American Ballet Theatre (ABT), the first Black female principal dancer in the theater’s history celebrated her retirement surrounded by friends and family – nostalgically bidding farewell to the community that she held dear for a large majority of her life.
Copeland’s retirement may be a sad day for the young Black girls who grew up watching her perform, but it is also a celebration of the legacy she leaves behind, and the paths she paved for other aspiring Black children growing up in a world that didn’t always want them.
When I was about 10 years old, I remember sitting in my theater classroom watching a rendition of Swan Lake from the late ‘90s. However, despite how beautiful the performance was, when I looked at that screen, all I could see was another fairytale that was so far out of reach for little girls who looked like me. It was hard to see yourself in these beautiful stories when no one there looked like you.
So when I learned about Misty Copeland, it felt like an entire new life had been opened up to me. At a time when POC role models were still quite limited, Copeland, Princess Tiana, and Brandi’s Cinderella made me feel like I could dream again – like there was a life for me out there that was worth pursuing.
However, being in Copeland’s position couldn’t have been easy. Being a role model for so many – and for so long – is a heavy burden to carry. Being Black and in the public eye often means that you are under constant scrutiny. You can’t EVER trip up in the slightest, because to stumble would unfortunately mean to put an entire race under a microscope.
But that’s what made Copeland so much more inspiring. She danced with such strength and pride in herself and her background. She never shielded away from talking about her difficult upbringing or the hurdles she faced in her career. I mean, just days before taking the stage, she was dealing with a hip injury after being on a five-year hiatus and still danced her heart out! That is the kind of person that Copeland taught others to strive to be, and her presence on the ABT stage will be missed but never forgotten.
In Copeland’s final performance, I don’t think I could have imagined a better celebration of the legacy she leaves behind. The show paid tribute to some of her most pivotal roles with the company, including Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, Firebird, and so many more. It was only more fitting that she danced with Calvin Royal III, ABT’s first Black male principal dancer in nearly two decades, to show that Black people have just as much of a place in ballet as anyone else.
Copeland’s retirement means that the ABT is once again without a Black principal dancer. However, she is not done with ballet just yet. During a series of speeches at the celebration, the Ballet Theater announced that Copeland was unanimously appointed to their board of trustees, with the goal of adding more teachers of color to the company’s school. She will also continue to perform, just maybe not in the same way that people are used to.
As the curtains closed on Copeland’s final bow, she held her two-year-old son in a warm embrace as they watched confetti fall around them. In that moment, it felt like the perfect representation of Copeland’s life and legacy. While her story may be coming to an end, those of future generations are just beginning, and she is determined to be there to help guide them. There will be other Black prima ballerinas who grace the ABT stage, but this final performance succeeded in highlighting the fact that Misty Copeland is truly one of a kind.
Opinions are those of the author’s alone and do not reflect the views of the Annenberg Media newsroom or its leadership.