A New Chapter for Misty Copeland
Misty Copeland, now 43, has taken her final bow with the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) in October 2025. This marked a significant milestone in her career, as she became the first Black woman to achieve the title of principal dancer within the company a decade earlier. Recently, The Independent had the opportunity to speak with Copeland just moments before she received the inaugural Luminary Award at Lincoln Center’s Summer Gala. During this conversation, she shared new insights into her life after ballet.
“It’s really interesting. I wouldn’t call it retirement,” Copeland said. “I feel that word’s been used a lot. It’s really me stepping away from American Ballet Theatre, but it’s been extremely busy.”
She continued: “Something that I’ve learned is really the importance of [is] people keep saying, ‘Well, ballerina has been your identity for so long.’ That’s not something I have to leave behind or let go of in order to move on to different things. It’s something that’s always within us.”
“That’s what I speak to so often, is the importance of the arts, not just to use it as a profession, but that you can take those tools and skills with you that are so transferable into so many different fields and so many different things in your life.”
“That’s been really beautiful, you know, whether it’s through my production company or, you know, I’m continuing to write books in my foundation, those are all things that I’ve learned as a dancer and as an artist that I’m applying and taking with me, into all these spaces.”
Expanding Horizons
Since stepping away from ABT, Copeland hasn’t slowed down. She has been actively involved in several projects through her production company, Life in Motion Productions, her eponymous foundation, and as an author.
“I have a new book coming out in the fall that I’m really, really excited about,” she said. “It’s a middle grade series for kids.”
“We have new programs through my foundation, the Misty Copeland Foundation and our signature Be Bold program,” she continued. “We have an older adult program that’s really starting to take shape and bring older adults together in communities that are 50 and over in the Bronx and in Harlem, and the importance of moving your bodies.”
Embracing New Opportunities
Copeland also mentioned a feature film based on the novel Variation by author Rebecca Yarros. This project highlights her ongoing commitment to the arts and storytelling.
Earlier this year, the renowned dancer addressed Timothée Chalamet’s controversial comments that “no one cares” about ballet or opera.
“First, I have to say that it’s very interesting that he invited me to be a part of promoting Marty Supreme with respect to my art form,” Copeland said at a panel for Aveeno skincare, according to Variety. “I think that it’s important that we acknowledge that, yes, this is an art form that’s not ‘popular’ and a part of pop culture as movies are, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have enduring relevance in culture.”
Copeland also said there is “a reason that the opera and ballet have been around for over 400 years,” adding: “He wouldn’t be an actor and have the opportunities he has as a movie star if it weren’t for opera and ballet and their relevance in that medium.”
The Power of the Arts
The Independent readers are independently-minded global citizens. They are not defined by traditional demographics or profiles, but by their attitudes. In today’s increasingly fragmented world, communities value real facts and frank opinions delivered first-hand from a non-biased news brand that they can trust. Armed with information and inspiration, Independent readers are empowered and equipped to take a stand for the things they believe in.
