Misty Copeland becomes first African American principal dancer at American Ballet Theater

Ballet dancer Misty Copeland has made history as being the first black woman to be promoted to principal dancer at the American Ballet Theater.

Time reported Copeland has been with the theater for 14 years and she also spent eight years as a solo dancer. She has also made her fame by writing two books, a children’s book called Firebird and her own personal memoir called Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina.

Time also honored her as part of this year’s Time 100 and she performed at the Metropolitan Opera House last week for Swan Lake.

She once said that her mother, who is biracial like herself, told her that “the world was going to view me as a black woman, no matter what I decided to do.” When she joined the theater at a young age, she realized she was the only woman there who was African American.

Ballerinas such as Raven Wilkinson inspired Copeland to “try and open up the doors for the history of African American ballerinas.”

The New York Times reported that principal dancers are given a lot of respect in the dance industry and are given more pay, as well as dancing in bigger roles. Copeland had once been up for promotion, but suffered an injury.

She joins dancers Stella Abrera, Maria Kochetkova, and Alban Lendorf in the promotion for principal dancer at the Ballet Theater.

Image via Jennifer Graylock/INFphoto.com