Misty Copeland’s farewell performance open to the public with a free simulcast Oct. 22

On Wednesday, October 22, Misty Copeland, American Ballet Theatre (ABT), The Misty Copeland Foundation, and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts have arranged for ABT’s star-studded Fall Gala featuring Copeland’s farewell performance to be a live simulcast at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. The celebration of the trailblazing Black ballerina who made history when, on June 30, 2015, she became the first African American principal ballerina in ABT’s 75-year history, reaching the pinnacle in a career that has opened doors as well as hearts and minds. Copeland said in a recent social media post, “This farewell is a celebration of everyone who has been part of my journey, and I want to share it with as many of you as possible.”

Beginning at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, tickets will be distributed, two per person at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully box office on a first-come, first-served basis. The free simulcast begins at 6:15 p.m. and features a celebrity guest, setting the stage for a milestone night. Through this special simulcast presentation, hundreds of audience members will share in the excitement of a once-in-a-lifetime celebration. Children and adult students from The Misty Copeland Foundation’s BE BOLD and BE BOLDER programs have also been invited to attend the simulcast, which is presented as part of ABT’s accessibility initiative, ABT RISE.

The Tribute to Misty Copeland, hosted by American Ballet Theatre (ABT), is her farewell performance as a principal dancer. It will feature a program of works from her career, tributes from guests like Oprah Winfrey and Debbie Allen, and a world premiere choreographed by Kyle Abraham. 

In an interview with the Amsterdam News, Copeland was asked how she felt about the tremendous media attention given her historic promotion as ABT’s first Black principal ballerina. Copeland explained, “I don’t want to see it die down. I want to do something that makes it relevant. It’s so important. It’s not something that’s going to change because one year we have all these things happening. These conversations and doing this work help create change. I’ve been asked if it annoys me to be always referred to as an African American ballerina. No, you’re still at that point where we have to be reminded. It can’t be pushed aside.” That was true then and it’s true still. Now, after the excitement dies down, let’s see how long it takes ABT to promote the next Black principal ballerinas, that’s ballerinas, with an “s.” We don’t want to have to wait another 75 years.

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