Misty Copeland dazzled Lincoln Center with grace and grit in her final performance at the American Ballet Theater on Wednesday night (October 22), capping a 24-year chapter in reshaping the face of classical dance.
Copeland’s farewell ceremony took place at the ABT Fall Gala at the David H. Koch Theater, where the 43-year-old icon took her final bow in her decade-long tenure as the company’s first black female principal dancer.
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The evening was filled with tributes, cheers and a crowd that spanned generations and backgrounds – a testament to her profound influence.
Oprah Winfrey and Debbie Allen paid tribute to Copeland in moving speeches, with Winfrey declaring that she “didn’t just do ballet” but “changed it.”
The show features three performances that showcase Copeland’s range. She opened with a balcony pas de deux from “Romeo and Juliet” with Calvin Royal III, ABT’s first black male principal in more than 20 years.
They then performed Kyle Abraham’s contemporary duet “Wrecka Stow,” and she ended with her long-time partner Herman Cornejo performing Twyla Tharp’s “Sinatra Suite.”
The most personal moment came during the final scene, when Copeland’s three-year-old son, Jackson, walked onstage in a tuxedo and embraced her as golden confetti rained from the rafters.
The move highlights the five years she spent raising ABT with her husband Olu Evans.
What a beautiful end to a historic tenure at American Ballet Theatre. misty. Copeland! ! ! Every flower is worth having.
It’s so precious that my son came out to deliver the bouquet😭 so beautiful! pic.twitter.com/ou7PX0PHch
— CP (@CPCatastrophe) October 23, 2025
Born in Kansas City and raised in San Pedro, California, Copeland’s path to ballet stardom was anything but conventional. She began dancing at age 13, while living in a motel with her mother and siblings.
Despite her late start, she won a scholarship to the San Francisco Ballet School and joined ABT’s Ballet Company in 2001.
When Misty Copeland was a teenager, she lived with her five siblings and their mother in two rooms in a motel in Gardena, California. Copeland would practice ballet on the railing outside her room, imagining it as her private studio. She hasn’t been back in nearly two decades —… pic.twitter.com/o4V76735J1
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) October 22, 2025
Her promotion to principal dancer in 2015 came not with a quiet memo but with a press conference, a move that reflected her celebrity status.
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Previously, she made her Met debut in Swan Lake to critical acclaim, attracting a more diverse audience than the company had ever seen before.
Since founding the Misty Copeland Foundation in 2022, she has been committed to expanding dance education opportunities for children of color through the “Be Bold” after-school program.
The initiative aims to remove barriers that have long kept ballet out of many underserved communities.
Copeland’s publishing work also continued. The second volume in her “Bunheads” children’s book series was released in September, and her memoir “The Wind at My Back” remains a staple in the conversation about inclusion in the arts.
Her retirement leaves ABT without a black female principal dancer for the first time since 2015. Copeland called the situation “alarming” but said she hopes her foundation can drive long-term change.
“Visual representation can only do so much,” she told The Associated Press in June. “I feel now is the perfect time for me to step into a new role and hopefully still be able to shape and change the ballet world and culture.”
The evening ended with a traditional ballet send-off – flowers from colleagues, mentors and loved ones. Copeland curated much of the evening herself, ensuring her final performance reflected her vision and legacy.
