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Misty changed ballet for the better and has announced her retirement from ABT. See photos of the dancer over the years here.

Misty Copeland is an American ballet dancer for American Ballet Theatre (ABT) and made history as the first African American woman to be promoted to principal dancer in ABT’s 75-year history. Despite not starting ballet until the age 13, Misty was considered a prodigy in her field. She auditioned for several dance programs in 1999, and each made her an offer to enroll in its summer program, and she ended up performing with ABT as part of its 1999 and 2000 Summer Intensive programs. By the end of the first summer, she was offered a spot at ABT, but her mother insisted she finish high school first in California. In September 2000, she joined the ABT Studio

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