Even before Misty Copeland became the first Black woman to be named a principal dancer at the illustrious American Ballet Theatre, she electrified the world of ballet.

A prodigy who didn’t start dancing until she was 13, she grew up in a transient and often chaotic home. But after she was discovered in a Boys & Girls Club in Los Angeles by a ballet teacher who wanted to expose more kids to the art form, she quickly shot into the national spotlight. As a teen, she studied at the prestigious San Francisco Ballet School and American Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensive. She joined American Ballet Theatre in 2000 and was promoted to principal just five years later, becoming the first Black woman ever to earn the title in the company’s 75-year history.

Talking Volumes: Misty Copeland

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Copeland stepped away from the stage in 2020, after an injury and then the pandemic forced a pause. She officially retires this October, but as she told Kerri Miller at Talking Volumes in September, she’s eager to enter the next chapter of her life where she can focus on giving back.

“Bunheads,” her book series for young dancers, is just one example. At Talking Volumes, a warm and playful Copeland talked about her love of ballet, how dance transformed her life and what comes next.

Musical guests for this special Sunday matinee Talking Volumes were Aby Wolf and Eric Mayson.