Photo: Gilda N. Squire Gildasquire / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
What grabs me about Misty Copeland is the historical weight of that 2015 milestone: the first African American woman promoted to principal dancer in American Ballet Theatre's 75-year history. In a tradition as image-conscious and slow-changing as classical ballet, that is not a small thing, and the fact that she got there primarily through one of the country's three leading companies tells me the recognition was earned on the main stage, not a side door. She is also an author, which suggests someone deliberate about shaping her own narrative. Born in 1982 in Kansas City and shaped in Southern California, she reads to me as a quietly determined trailblazer.
Overview
Misty Danielle Copeland (born September 10, 1982) is an American ballet dancer and author. She has danced primarily for American Ballet Theatre (ABT), one of the three leading classical ballet companies in the United States. On June 30, 2015, Copeland became the first African American woman to be promoted to principal dancer in ABT's 75-year history.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Misty Copeland
- Name (Japanese)
- ミスティ・コープランド
- Reading
- みすてぃ・こーぷらんど
- Born
- September 10, 1982 (age 43)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Virgo / Dog
- Origin
- Kansas City, Missouri, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- ballet dancer / actor / dancer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- San Pedro High School
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Ballet dancer — see all → · Actor — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.