NEW YORK (AP) — Ten years ago this month, Misty Copeland sat in front of a hastily arranged news conference at American Ballet Theatre, fighting back tears of pride over her new role: principal dancer. “This is it,” she said, with emotion. “This has been my dream since I was 13.” The occasion was highly unusual — normally, when a dancer is promoted, a brief press release is issued. But this was Copeland, a crossover star with fame far beyond the insular world of ballet. And now she was becoming the first Black female principal in the company’s 75-year history — just days after her New York debut as the lead in “Swan Lake” brought a refreshingly diverse, packed audience to the Metropolitan Opera House.

Now, a decade and many accomplishments later, Copeland is retiring from the company she

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