Misty Copeland Takes Final Bow with ABT

Trailblazing ballerina, Misty Copeland, took her final bow with American Ballet Theatre during the company’s Fall Gala on October 22, 2025, at The David H. Koch Theater. Copeland was the American Ballet Theatre’s first Black woman to serve as a principal dancer, a title she earned in 2015 at 32 years old and held for a decade. The star-studded gala included heartfelt remarks by Oprah Winfrey and Debbie Allen celebrating Copeland’s legacy.

Reflecting on her departure, Copeland wrote in an Instagram post ahead of her performance, “Although I’ll be saying farewell to the stage, I’ll always be committed to opening doors, creating space, and making ballet a place where everyone belongs.”

The night, which also celebrated ABT’s 85th anniversary and was largely curated by Copeland, included speeches and film clips about her career. Copeland performed the balcony pas de deux from Romeo & Juliet with Calvin Royal III, Juliet being her personal favorite role to dance. She also premiered Kyle Abraham’s Wrecka Stow, and closed out the program with an excerpt from Sinatra Suite, choreographed by Twyla Tharp.

Copeland began her dance career in California as a 13-year-old eventually becoming a member in the ABT’s corps de ballet in 2001 at the age of 18, later rising to soloist and then principal. Beyond her artistic triumphs, she is a cultural icon, bestselling author, and passionate advocate for equity in the arts. Through The Misty Copeland Foundation’s signature BE BOLD program, she has dedicated herself to ensuring that ballet is affordable, accessible, and fun for children of all backgrounds to experience the transformative power of dance.

Copeland told The Associated Press in an interview in June, when she announced her retirement, “You know, I’ve become the person that I am today, and have all the opportunities I have today, because of ballet, (and) because of American Ballet Theatre. I feel like this is me saying ‘thank you’ to the company. So it’s a farewell. (But) it won’t be the end of me dancing. … Never say never.”

While the curtain has closed on Copeland’s time onstage with ABT, the future remains bright for this remarkable ballerina. To learn more about Copeland’s continued impact through The Misty Copeland Foundation, visit https://www.mistycopelandfoundation.org/

Misty Copeland in Swan Lake at Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Photo credit Darren Thomas