Misty Copeland was the first African American ballerina to dance the iconic dual role of Odette/Odile with American Ballet Theatre. On June 30, 2015, she was named the company's first ever female African American principal dancer. American Ballet Theatre
The name Misty Copeland has become known far beyond the dance-obsessed circles of bunheads and balletomanes. For the first time in decades, it seems, an American ballerina has broken into mainstream culture. When American Ballet Theatre announced its promotions and new company members Tuesday, she also made history as the first African-American woman to become a principal dancer with the company, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.
Copeland, born in Kansas City, Missouri and raised in San Pedro, California began dancing at 13, which for a female ballet dancer is positively ancient. Nevertheless, she quickly won awards and scholarships and joined ABT’s Studio Company in 2000. Less than a year later, she became a member of the corps de ballet in the main company, and was promoted to soloist in August 2007. At the time of that promotion, she became the company’s first African-American soloist in more than two decades.
In recent years, Copeland has spoken extensively about her path as an African-American woman climbing toward the upper echelons of the ballet world, inspiring young dancers and making herself widely known. She was named National Youth of the Year Ambassador for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America in 2013 and was appointed by President Barack Obama to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition in 2014. She is an advisory committee member for ABT’s Project Plie, a partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America that aims to “increase racial and ethnic representation in ballet and to diversify America's ballet companies.”
Over the last several years, Copeland has been the subject of countless stories in dance-specific publications as well as in mainstream media outlets, including an in-depth New Yorker profile. She was also the protagonist in the documentary A Ballerina’s Tale, which screened at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. In April of this year, Copeland graced the cover of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2015 issue. She has garnered a loyal following on social media, with nearly 50,000 followers on her very active Twitter account and more than half a million on Instagram. Needless to say, Tuesday’s news sparked a slew of congratulations:
Source: http://www.newsweek.com/misty-copeland-makes-history-first-black-woman-become-principal-dancer-abt-348822
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