US EditionLook: Oprah Winfrey Attends Misty Copeland's Final ABT Performance
Misty Copeland ended her 25-year ABT career as the first Black female principal dancer and plans to continue advocacy for diversity and inclusion in ballet.
- On Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, Misty Copeland retired from American Ballet Theatre at Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater, taking a final spin on her pointe shoes amid golden glitter and bouquets.
- In June, Misty Copeland told The Associated Press she was stepping away from American Ballet Theatre after reaching a point where she could do only so much onstage.
- Misty Copeland closed with signature roles alongside partners such as Herman Cornejo and Calvin Royal III, performing Juliet and Twyla Tharp's Sinatra Suite during her first company appearance in five years.
- Curated largely by Misty Copeland, the evening featured speeches and film clips and was streamed free to the public at nearby Alice Tully Hall.
- Copeland plans to continue her advocacy as an author and foundation leader while remaining open to future dance projects, promoting diversity through her namesake foundation and the Be Bold afterschool program.
35 Articles
35 Articles
Stars Arrive for Misty Copeland's Final American Ballet Theatre Performance
The stars twirled onto the blue carpet just as gracefully as the dancer they came to celebrate ahead of Misty Copeland’s final performance. Several celebrities — including Emmy winners — and longtime fans showed up in style in honor of The American Ballet Theatre’s 2025 Fall Gala, which was held in New York City on Wednesday, October 22, turning the Lincoln Center into a glittering dreamscape. Copeland was among the stars who posed for photos at…
Oprah Leads the Charge at Misty Copeland’s Farewell
On Wednesday afternoon, more than 350 people, toting books and folding chairs, stood and sat in a line that stretched around the corner at 66th Street, down Amsterdam Avenue, and back up 65th Street. The first fan arrived to Lincoln Center in Manhattan just after 7 a.m., hoping to secure a ticket to the free, live broadcast of the trailblazing ballerina Misty Copeland’s farewell performance with American Ballet Theater. Fifteen years ago, that c…
Misty Copeland Has Officially Retired From The American Ballet Theatre
Astrida Valigorsky/WireImage/Getty ImagesMisty Copeland has finally sung her swan (lake) song. The ballet icon, who made history as the American Ballet Theatre’s first Black woman to hold the title of principal dancer, performed for the last time at the theater’s fall gala at Lincoln Center in New York City on Oct. 22.“It’s been 25 years at ABT, and I think it’s time,” she told The Associated Press back in June, when she announced her retirement…
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