11 stunning shots of Misty Copeland, the American Ballet Theatre’s first black principal ballerina

By Fusion Staff  |  June 30, 2015 | 4:59pm
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On Tuesday, Misty Copeland became the first black principal ballerina for the American Ballet Theatre.

The New York Times reports that the decision was announced by the company’s artistic director, Kevin McKenzie, during a meeting Tuesday morning.

Copeland, 32, has grabbed the public’s attention with her incredible performances—her commercial for Under Armour has 8.2 million views and is surprisingly moving:


Even when she’s static, Copeland is unbelievably graceful. Here are some of our favorite shots:

Copeland has been a dancer with ABT for more than 14 years, and has captivated the public with her frank discussion of race and class in the world of dance. Here she is, talking to Fusions’s Alicia Menendez about her experiences as a professional ballerina.


Congratulations, Misty.

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Danielle Wiener-Bronner is a news reporter.

 
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