NEW YORK – As Misty Copeland walked the red carpet at Wednesday night's American Ballet Theatre fall gala, a familiar face stood nearby, waiting to greet the history-making dancer.
That person was Oprah Winfrey, who later took the stage as the night's honorary grand chair to praise Copeland's impact on dance as the first Black woman to serve as a principal dancer at the ABT. And as she prepared to close this chapter of her professional career, everyone from Emmy winners to Baseball Hall of Famers descended upon the Lincoln Center to see Copeland grace the stage as a principal dancer one last time Oct. 22.
Shortly after embracing Winfrey and a number of other well-wishers, Copeland took a moment to gather herself before reflecting on her journey before her final ABT performance. The dancer, 43, told USA TODAY that she'd advise her younger self to enjoy "the ride and the process and the journey, because that's what it's all for."
"I've been preparing for this night, I've been rehearsing and rehearsing," she continued. "That's what it's about. It's those moments in the studio, those moments with my coaches and my partners that make this (experience) what it is."
Copeland joined ABT in 2000 and for the first 10 years, she was the only Black woman at the company. Through the work of her foundation, the performer has championed diversity in the world of dance.
