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Misty Copeland was born
Copeland was born in Kansas City, Missouri, but raised in the San Pedro community of Los Angeles, California.[7] Copeland's father, Doug Copeland, is German American and African American,[9] while her mother, Sylvia DelaCerna, is Italian American and African American and was adopted by African American parents.[10][11] She is the youngest of four children from her mother's second marriage and has two younger half-siblings, one each from her mother's third and fourth marriages. -
American Ballet Theatre
Copeland auditioned for several dance programs in 1999, and each made her an offer to enroll in its summer program.[11] She performed with ABT as part of its 1999 and 2000 Summer Intensive programs.[46] By the end of the first summer, she was asked to join the ABT Studio Company. Her mother insisted that she finish high school, and so Copeland returned to California for her senior year, even though ABT arranged to pay for her performances, housing accommodations and academic arrangements. -
First African American ABT soloist
Copeland was appointed a soloist at ABT in August 2007,[21] one of the youngest ABT dancers promoted to soloist.[79] Although, she was described by early accounts as the first African American woman promoted to soloist for ABT,[6][23] Anne Benna Sims and Nora Kimball were soloists with ABT in the 1980s.[80][81][82][83] Male soloist Keith Lee also preceded her.[84] As of 2008, Copeland was the only African-American woman in the dance company during her entire ABT career. -
Promoted to Principal Ballerina in ABT
On June 30, 2015, Copeland became the first African-American woman to be promoted to principal ballerina in ABT's 75-year history.[3][172] Copeland's achievement was groundbreaking, as there have been very few African-American principal ballerinas at major companies.
