African American ballerina makes history with rise to principal at ABT

Misty Copeland made ballet history Tuesday: She was promoted to principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre. She is the first African American ballerina to achieve the highest rank at a premiere American company.

Her promotion followed more than a week of "Misty Watch," which had ballet fans around the country speculating and hoping that Copeland, a hugely popular presence on stage, on social media, and in pop culture, was on the brink of achievement.

Three female ABT principals - Julie Kent, Paloma Herrera, and Xiomara Reyes - retired in the spring, opening up room at the top. The time seemed particularly ripe after Copeland made her momentous June 24 ABT debut as white swan Odette and black swan Odile, the bifurcated lead in Swan Lake, often referred to as a "white ballet." The New York Times' Alastair McCaulay called her performance "admirable but without striking individuality"; he cited her "moments of courage and grandeur" and "flashes of bravery."

Copeland, 32, unlike most before her, has embraced opportunities outside the classical ballet world. She has performed with Prince; appeared in ads for Under Armour, BlackBerry, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, where she got her start in ballet; and she has more than 500,000 followers on Instagram. She was a guest judge on So You Think You Can Dance and, in 2014, published her autobiography, Life in Motion.

Copeland has sometimes been criticized for spending so much of her professional life away from traditional ballet stages, but those activities are how she gained her legions of fans and paved the way for younger dancers to find stardom online, if not yet on stage.

Her promotion is effective Aug. 1.

Another former soloist, Stella Abrera, was also promoted to principal, and five corps de ballet dancers were elevated to soloist positions.