Dancer and Cultural Icon Misty Copeland

Published: March 28, 2017, 7:31 a.m.

Misty Copeland is a ballet dancer for American Ballet Theatre (ABT), one of the three leading classical ballet companies in the United States. On June 30, 2015, she became the first African American woman to be promoted to principal dancer in ABT's 75-year history. In addition to her dance career, Misty has become a public speaker, celebrity spokesperson and stage performer. She has written two autobiographical books and narrated a documentary about her career challenges, A Ballerina's Tale. In 2015, she was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time, appearing on its cover.

She performed on Broadway in On the Town, toured as a featured dancer for Prince, and appeared on the reality television shows A Day in the Life and So You Think You Can Dance. She has endorsed products and companies such as T-Mobile, Coach, Inc., Dr Pepper, Seiko, The Dannon Company and Under Armour.

Misty’s new book is “Ballerina Body: Dancing and Eating Your Way to a Leaner, Stronger and More Graceful You.” She was in the Northwest to speak at Meany Theater, presented by University Book Store. Connect with Misty online at MistyCopeland.com