Misty Copeland's Legacy

Misty Copeland’s upcoming retirement from American Ballet Theatre—where she made history as the first Black female principal dancer and subsequently shot to fame in the ballet world and beyond—means many things. It’s the end of an era for the company, and the next step in Copeland’s deeply multifaceted career. It’s a last chance to see Copeland perform with ABT for a lucky few, and, for the whole dance world, it’s an opportunity to take a breath and reflect.

Misty Copeland. Photograph by Karolina Kuras

For ABT principal Calvin Royal III, who will dance alongside Copeland in several works on the eve of her retirement, it’s a special full-circle moment. “Our first rehearsal back was actually for the balcony pas de deux from “Romeo & Juliet,” which we were going to do the full-length production of in 2020 at the Metropolitan Opera House,” Royal says. “The muscle memory kicked in—and the excitement of the moment that we were looking forward to five years ago—and we literally did half the pas de deux without stopping.”

Aside from bringing to fruition a moment that’s five years overdue, their performance together at Copeland’s farewell, which will take place at ABT’s fall gala on October 22, represents a deep bond between the two dancers—a yearslong friendship that started as a mentorship.

Over the course of Copeland’s career, mentorship—especially for dancers of color in the historically white world of classical ballet—has been a central value and driving force. In 2021, she launched her foundation, which provides low-cost ballet training opportunities to children and older adults. And the next year, she wrote The Wind at My Back, a book about her relationship with her own mentor, Raven Wilkinson. Wilkinson made history by becoming the first Black ballerina to join a major ballet company when she signed with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in 1955.

Misty Copeland, Calvin Royal III, and Herman Cornejo in rehearsal for the balcony pas de deux from “Romeo and Juliet.” Photograph by Natalia Sánchez

After Wilkinson died in 2018, Copeland made it part of her mission to carry the late ballerina’s torch—not only in remembrance of her contributions to the field of ballet, but also to pay forward the impact she had on Copeland personally. Copeland undoubtedly serves as a similar inspirational and propulsive figure for Royal, the Muhammad brothers, the students who learn ballet through her foundation, and the multitude of other dancers whose lives she’s touched either directly or indirectly. “She’s an incredible symbol for so many of us in the dance world that had a dream,” Royal says.

“I just remember being so star-struck,” he continues, describing seeing Copeland in the ABT studios as a young dancer. “When I got into the company and got a chance to take class alongside her, there were times when I would try to stand as close as possible to her at barre.” In those early days, the pair gradually began to strike up conversations and, sometimes, Copeland would offer technical and artistic suggestions to Royal. “We would chat after rehearsal or she would come over to me in class and say, ‘Maybe you should try this,’ or ‘stretch your arm here,’” he says. “I learned so much from that partnership and dialogue. She was always someone that was just easy to talk to.”

Houston Ballet first soloist Naazir Muhammad and his brother, National Ballet of Canada first soloist Shaakir Muhammad, also met Copeland during their time as students at ABT’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. “My brother and I were from a different neighborhood than the other kids. We had different mannerisms, I’ll just say that,” reflects Naazir Muhammad. “[Misty] basically guided us on how to navigate these predominantly white spaces as young Black men from Brooklyn.”

Naazir Muhammad in Stanton Welch’s “Divergence.” Photograph by Claire McAdams, courtesy of Houston Ballet

Copeland’s story has also resonated far beyond the studios and auditoriums to which ballet is typically confined. A vocal and visible proponent for the importance of diversity and representation, she spread her message both with her words and her captivating stage presence. She became the face of a movement that penetrated the veil that often shrouds the inner workings of the ballet from the consciousness of the wider world.

“I’ll never forget when Misty played the role of the Firebird—I get chills when I think about it now,” Royal says. “We were holding the curtain for what felt like a half an hour because there were lines of people from all backgrounds lined up in circles around the Metropolitan Opera House.” In that moment, Misty became a beacon for an entire group of people that ranged in age, racial background, and previous interest in dance. Although she didn’t guide these people directly, her legacy of mentorship reached them, too.

Copeland, in the words of Royal, “moved the art form forward.” She carried big, important dreams on her shoulders, and, as Muhammad says, always asked a lot of herself. Even her farewell, which comes after a lengthy break from the stage due to injuries, the Covid pandemic, and other career obligations, is a testament to that. “She went on a five-year hiatus, and she gets one night to pull it all together—that’s a lot of pressure to put on yourself,” says Muhammad. “But I can’t imagine her doing it any other way, because that’s literally who she is.”

Although Copeland won’t be a fixture on the stage after her farewell, her presence will continue to exist there. She’ll be felt when Royal extends his arm in the way she coached him to, and when the Muhammad brothers continue to check roles off their bucket lists. And, when all the dancers who Copeland inspired to dream burst from the wings, she’ll certainly be channeled in their every movement.

Sophie Bress

Sophie Bress is an arts and culture journalist and dance critic. She regularly contributes to Dance Magazine and Fjord Review, and has also written for the New York Times, NPR, Observer, Pointe, and more.

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