Misty Copeland is an American ballet dancer and author best known for becoming the first African American woman to serve as a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre (ABT).
She spent 25 years with ABT and became one of the most recognized faces in the history of classical dance.
Who is Misty Copeland?
Misty Danielle Copeland was born on September 10, 1982, in Kansas City, Missouri. She grew up in San Pedro, a community in Los Angeles, California, with her single mother and five siblings.
She did not begin ballet until age 13, which is considered very late in the dance world. Most professional ballet dancers start training as young children. Despite that late start, Copeland became a prodigy almost immediately.
Her rise through the ranks of one of America’s most prestigious ballet companies took 15 years of dedication, injury, and perseverance.
The world took notice in 2015 when she made history as the first Black female principal dancer at ABT in the company’s 75-year history.
Beyond the stage, Copeland became a cultural icon. She appeared in major brand campaigns, wrote several bestselling books, and used her platform to push for diversity in classical dance.
Her story inspired a generation of young dancers who had never seen someone who looked like them in the front row of a world-class ballet company.
Early Life of Misty Copeland
Misty Copeland grew up in San Pedro, California, with her mother, Sylvia DelaCerna, and five siblings. Her childhood was marked by financial instability. At times, her mother struggled to make ends meet, and the family faced difficult living conditions.
Her mother had studied dance and was a former cheerleader for the Kansas City Chiefs. Despite that connection to movement, Copeland did not find ballet until her early teens. She first discovered her love of dance through a drill team at her middle school.
A coach noticed her raw talent and encouraged her to take ballet classes at a local Boys and Girls Club. That recommendation changed everything.
Dance instructor Cynthia Bradley saw Copeland’s potential and invited her to train at the San Pedro Dance Center.
Copeland eventually went to live with the Bradley family so she could train full time. Her rapid progress was extraordinary. Within just three months of starting ballet, she was dancing en pointe.
Misty Copeland Age
Misty Copeland is 43 years old as of 2026, born on September 10, 1982.
Her zodiac sign is Virgo, a sign often linked with precision, dedication, and high standards.
Misty Copeland Ethnicity and Nationality
Misty Copeland is an American. She is of African American, German, and Italian descent. Her father’s side carries German and African American roots, while her mother’s side is Italian and African American.
Misty Copeland Height and Weight
Misty Copeland stands 5 feet 2 inches (1.57 meters) tall. Her weight is reported at around 110 pounds (50 kg), which she maintained through years of intensive ballet training and performance.
Her compact, muscular build defied the stereotype of the tall, willowy ballerina. That did not stop her from becoming one of the most celebrated dancers in the world.
She has spoken openly about being told as a teenager that her body was wrong for ballet. That same body later carried her through Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, and Firebird on the world’s greatest stages.
Misty Copeland Education
Misty Copeland attended Point Fermin Elementary School, Dana Middle School, and San Pedro High School in Los Angeles, California.
Her formal schooling was shaped by her ballet training. Before her 15th birthday, she was homeschooled by Cynthia Bradley to free up more time for dance.
At age 15, she won first place in the ballet category of the Los Angeles Music Center Spotlight Awards. That win came with a scholarship and marked her as one of the top young dancers in Southern California.
She later studied at the San Francisco Ballet School and attended ABT’s Summer Intensive program on a full scholarship.
Misty Copeland Career
Misty Copeland’s career at the American Ballet Theatre spanned 25 years, from 2000 to 2025. She moved from studio company member to the most senior rank in the company, principal dancer.
Joining ABT (2000–2007)
In 2000, Copeland was named ABT’s National Coca-Cola Scholar and joined the ABT Studio Company. She joined the corps de ballet in April 2001, becoming a full member of one of America’s leading classical ballet companies.
Her early years were not without hardship. She suffered a vertebral fracture that required her to wear a brace for much of the day. Stress fractures in her left shin later forced her to step away from the stage again. Each time, she returned.
In August 2007, Copeland became ABT’s second African American female soloist and the first in two decades. That promotion began to signal how rare and important her presence in the company was.
Making History as Principal Dancer (2015)
On June 30, 2015, Misty Copeland was promoted to principal dancer at ABT, the highest rank a dancer can hold at the company.
She became the first African American woman to reach that position in ABT’s 75-year history. The announcement came six days after her stunning New York debut in the role of Odette and Odile in Swan Lake.
That moment was felt far beyond the ballet world. Time magazine named her one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2015.
She was also named one of Glamour’s Women of the Year, one of Barbara Walters’ 10 Most Fascinating People, and one of ESPN’s Impact 25 athletes for that year.
Final Years and Retirement (2020–2025)
Copeland stepped back from the stage in 2020, taking time away due to the pandemic and then the birth of her son in 2022.
She returned to the ABT stage one final time on October 22, 2025, for the company’s Fall Gala at Lincoln Center in New York City.
The event was a star-studded celebration of her career. Oprah Winfrey and Debbie Allen were among those who spoke in her honor. Hundreds of fans lined up outside Alice Tully Hall to watch a free livestream of the performance.
At the end of the evening, Copeland symbolically hung up her pointe shoes. Her 25-year career at ABT came to a close.
Misty Copeland Books and Publications
Copeland’s work as an author is a major part of her legacy outside of dance.
| Year | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina | Memoir |
| 2014 | Firebird | Children’s Book |
| 2017 | Ballerina Body | Health/Wellness |
| 2020 | Bunheads | Children’s Book |
| 2022 | The Wind at My Back | Memoir |
| 2025 | Bunheads, Act 2: The Dance of Courage | Children’s Book |
Her memoir Life in Motion, co-written with journalist Charisse Jones, became a New York Times bestseller in 2014. It told the story of her unlikely path to ABT and the struggles she overcame along the way.
Her children’s book series, beginning with Bunheads in 2020, became an instant New York Times bestselling series. The books are inspired by her own early experiences and are aimed at readers ages 4 to 8.
The second volume in the Bunheads series, Bunheads Act 2: The Dance of Courage, was released in September 2025, just weeks before her retirement performance.
Misty Copeland Awards and Recognition
Misty Copeland earned major recognition throughout her career, both inside and outside the dance world.
- Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World (2015)
- Glamour’s Women of the Year: The Showstopper (2015)
- Shorty Award for Best in Dance in Social Media (2016)
- Leonore Annenberg Fellowship in the Arts (2008)
- Honorary Doctorate from the University of Hartford (2014)
- Dance Magazine Awards Honoree (2014)
- Boys and Girls Clubs of America National Youth of the Year Ambassador (2013)
- President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition, appointed by President Obama (2014)
- Los Angeles Music Center Spotlight Award, First Place in Ballet (1998)
In 2014, she also received her own Barbie doll modeled after her Firebird costume, recognizing her as a cultural icon for young girls around the world.
Misty Copeland Brand Endorsements
Misty Copeland became one of the most recognizable faces in brand campaigns outside of her dance career.
In 2014, Under Armour made her a central figure in their “I Will What I Want” women’s campaign. The commercial went viral, earning over nine million views and becoming one of the most talked-about athletic ads of that year.
Her other brand partnerships included American Express, Coach, Diet Dr. Pepper, T-Mobile, Seiko, and The Dannon Company. These deals reflected her crossover appeal as both a sporting figure and a cultural icon.
She also co-founded a women’s athletic wear line called Greatness Wins alongside former Major League Baseball star Derek Jeter. That venture, launched in 2023, added a business dimension to her already broad public profile.
Misty Copeland Husband
Misty Copeland met her husband, Olu Evans, in New York City in 2004. Evans is a practicing attorney. The couple dated for over a decade before getting engaged in 2015, which they shared as a cover story in Essence magazine.
They married on July 31, 2016, in a ceremony in Laguna Beach, California. Evans has been a steady presence of support throughout Copeland’s career and public life.
The couple has described their relationship as a true partnership, with Evans supporting her through major career moments, injuries, and life decisions.
Misty Copeland Children
Misty Copeland and Olu Evans welcomed a son named Jackson in 2022.
Their son made a memorable appearance at Copeland’s retirement gala at Lincoln Center in October 2025. Dressed in a small tuxedo, the three-year-old walked onstage to hug his mother during the curtain calls.
That moment became one of the lasting images from the emotional farewell evening.
Misty Copeland Net Worth
Misty Copeland’s estimated net worth is $1.5 million as of 2026. Her income has come from her salary as a principal dancer at ABT, book royalties, brand endorsement deals, speaking engagements, and her production company work.
Ballet Salary
As a principal dancer at ABT, Copeland earned a salary in the range typical for top-tier dancers at major American ballet companies.
Principal dancers at that level generally earn between $100,000 and $150,000 per year. That income formed the foundation of her earnings over the decade she held the principal rank.
Book Royalties and Publishing
Copeland’s books have performed well commercially. Her memoir Life in Motion was a New York Times bestseller, and her Bunheads children’s book series also hit the bestseller list.
Royalties from these titles have added a meaningful income stream that continues after her retirement from ABT.
Brand Deals and Endorsements
The Under Armour campaign alone brought her significant visibility and income. Her endorsement portfolio also included American Express, Coach, and Diet Dr. Pepper, among others.
These partnerships represented a substantial part of her earnings during her peak years of fame.
Misty Copeland Foundation and Production
Copeland’s foundation, the Misty Copeland Foundation, is a non-profit organization. Her production company, Life InMotion Productions, has produced creative projects including the short film Flower, which premiered at the Tribeca Festival in 2023.
These ventures reflect her continuing work beyond the stage.
Misty Copeland Social Media
Misty Copeland is active on Instagram under the handle @mistyonpointe, where she has approximately two million followers. She uses the platform to share moments from her personal life, dance career, and advocacy work.
She also maintains a presence on X (formerly Twitter) and has an official website at mistycopeland.com, where fans can follow her foundation work and future projects.
Her social media following reflects her status as a cultural figure who reaches well beyond traditional ballet audiences.
Summary
Misty Copeland spent 25 years redefining what was possible in classical ballet, breaking barriers that had stood for 75 years and opening the door for a more diverse future in the art form.
She leaves behind a career measured not just in performances, but in the young dancers she inspired to believe they belonged on the stage.
