Misty Copeland is an American ballet dancer for American Ballet Theatre (ABT), one of the three leading classical ballet companies in the United States. Stylistically, she is considered a classical ballet dancer. In April 2015, she was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time. On June 30, 2015, Copeland became the first African American woman to be promoted to principal dancer in ABT's 75-year history.
Copeland is considered a prodigy who rose to stardom despite not starting ballet until the age of 13. By age 15, her mother and ballet teachers, who were serving as her custodial guardians, fought a custody battle over her. In 1997, Copeland won the Los Angeles Music Center Spotlight Award as the best dancer in Southern California. After two summer workshops with the ABT, she became a member of the Studio Company in 2000, a member of the corps de ballet in 2001, and a soloist in 2007. As a soloist from autumn 2007 to summer 2015, she was described as having matured into a more contemporary and sophisticated dancer. In addition to her dance career, Copeland has become a public persona as a public speaker, celebrity spokesperson, stage performer and television personality.