All that changed in the summer of 2015, when Misty Copeland, a rising star already transcending the rarified world of classical dance, became the first African American woman to be named ...

Austin was the first African-American female to dance as a prinicipal for a major ballet company. Now retired, Austin, 60, has been the ballet master for the Carolina Ballet for the past 18 years.

Misty Copeland has been named principal dancer by the American Ballet Theater, becoming the first African-American ballet dancer to hold the position in the company’s 75-year history.

a cultural phenomenon outside the dance world, has been promoted to the highest rank of the American Ballet Theatre, becoming the first African-American female principal dancer in the company’s ...