Pioneering ballerina Misty Copeland is retiring from American Ballet Theatre
Misty Copeland is ready for her swan song.
The dancer, 42, has announced she will retire from the American Ballet Theatre after more than 20 years and deliver her final performance during the company's fall gala in October.
"I could never have imagined the life ballet would give me," Copeland said in a statement. "To dance on the world's greatest stages, with artists I admire so deeply, has been one of the greatest gifts of my life."
She continued: "My time with ABT has shaped me not just as a dancer, but as a person, and given me the platform to reach back and make space for others. This moment isn't a farewell, it's a celebration of everything we've built together, and a step toward all the work that's still ahead."
Copeland made history in 2015 as the first Black woman to become a principal dancer at the ABT.
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Speaking to The New York Times Magazine, she said she initially "wanted to fade away into the background," only to realize this was not "really possible," so she decided to announce her retirement officially.
"The legacy of what I've created, the way that I'm carrying so many stories of Black dancers who have come before me — I can't just disappear," she said. "There has to be an official closing to my time at American Ballet Theater, this company that has meant everything to me."
Copeland also told the Times she is "dealing with a lot" while preparing for her final performance.
How I became a ballerina: Misty Copeland
"I have a labral tear that happened during my training recently," she said. "Then I found out that I have all these old injuries that I never acknowledged and danced through. My doctor was like, 'I think you should stop dancing.' I'm like, 'I'm trying!' So it's very humbling, but it's also comforting."
The American Ballet Theatre's fall gala, scheduled for Oct. 22, is set to include a "curated selection of works from Copeland's celebrated repertoire," as well as video tributes and performances from her "collaborators and admirers," according to a June 9 announcement.
Susan Jaffe, the American Ballet Theatre's artistic director, said in a statement that Copeland's legacy "is profound — not only through the roles she's redefined but also through the lives she's inspired," adding that her "advocacy for inclusion, equity, and education ensures her impact will resonate far beyond this moment."
In a May interview with USA TODAY, Copeland reflected, "Throughout my career, so many incredible women, and specifically Black women, have really been like the backbone of my success. That, naturally and organically, taught me the importance of being a mentor."
Contributing: Clare Mulroy
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