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Black Inventors & History Makers / Misty Copeland
Dance

Misty Copeland

1982 · Birth year

2015

First Black woman principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre

What Misty contributed

Was promoted to principal dancer, the highest rank at American Ballet Theatre.

The story

Copeland became an internationally recognized ballerina and advocate for greater inclusion in classical dance.

Why it matters

Her achievement broke a long-standing racial barrier in one of the world's leading classical-ballet companies.

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American Ballet Theatre ↗

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