Misty Copeland (born September 1982) broke barriers on stage in 2015 when she became the first Black woman to be named principal dancer at the prestigious American Ballet Theater in the company’s 75 year history.

Before Copeland, there was Raven Wilkinson, who inspired Copeland and mentored her. Both of these women’s accomplishments deserve admiration, recognition, and much celebration. At the same time it highlights the issue of underrepresentation of people of color in historically White institutions in this country. These two dancing trailblazers, and so many others who’s stories we may never know, worked hard to establish a place for themselves and for those that will follow. Still, there is much work to be done to ensure that other people of color have the same opportunity. To all the young dancers out there dreaming of being on that stage one day, keep dancing, we all want to know your story.

Links for Learning:

Origin and History of Ballet

Sources:

American Ballet Theater- Misty Copeland

Read More About This Project: Her Story: Honoring Women, Empowering Girls

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