Earlier this week, Misty Copeland made history when she was promoted to principal dancer of the prestigious American Ballet Theatre, becoming the first African-American ballerina to hold this position. Copeland’s new role begins on August 1, and there was much speculation that she would be chosen as a principal, as she has performed many principal-level roles recently, including the female leads in “Romeo and Juliet” and “Firebird,” as a soloist.
Earlier this spring, Copeland made her debut in the lead role of Odette/Odile in “Swan Lake” at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.; for a black woman to dance the role of ballet’s famed white swan is culturally notable and significant (and all of her performances sold out months earlier). At her press conference announcing her promotion, she noted, “I want to bring more people to ballet, I want to see more people that look like me on the stage, in the school, and in the audience — on the board. It’s just been one of my goals, and it’s been exciting to see some change happen.”
Copeland has been with the American Ballet Theatre for eight years, and her popularity has spilled over to non-ballet audiences. She has starred in Under Armour, Dr. Pepper and BlackBerry ads, performed in concert with Prince, and judged contestants on Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance.” The film rights for her memoir, Life in Motion, have been purchased by New Line Cinema, and she’s also written a children’s book, Firebird (so named for one of her first significant roles with the company).
As you might imagine, the reactions across social networks were plentiful, particularly on Twitter. Television personality Star Jones, tweeted, “crying tears of joy for [Copeland] & all the little girls she will inspire.” Robin Roberts noted, “After being named the 1st black principal ballerina of @ABTBallet, @mistyonpointe says all little girls can see their dreams through her.” Oprah Winfrey remarked, “Brava! Yay! And Hallelujah to you @mistyonpointe . Beaming with pride at your magnificent achievement as Principal Dancer ABT.” Perhaps Taye Diggs said it best with his comment, “All hail the Queen. My “sister” Misty Copeland was just promoted to Principal dancer with ABT!! An amazing day for dancers and chocolates…”
And as a personal aside, I am a former dancer who dreamt of being a ballerina one day, and I cannot express my pride and admiration to see a black woman take this position; to share this with my fifteen year old daughter who is also a ballet dancer, is a watershed moment. She can now see someone who looks like her take on lead roles as arguably, the new face of American ballet. As principal dancer, Copeland is changing perceptions on not only what a dancer is, but what a dancer can be.
