Next month, barrier-breaking ballerina Misty Copeland will grace a different kind of stage — the TEDNext main stage in Atlanta, conference organizers told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in an exclusive interview.

TED, which stands for technology, entertainment and design, is a global family of conferences and educational content. While the main TED conference focuses on the future of the world, TEDNext is focused on helping attendees look inward at their own future.

Copeland’s TED talk comes as the dancer is entering a new phase in her life. In 2015, she became the first Black woman to be a principal dancer of the American Ballet Theatre. Now, she is retiring at the end of October after 25 years with the company.

“It’s time for me to move to the next stage,” Copeland said in an

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