Misty Danielle Copeland (born 1982) is an American ballet dancer for American Ballet Theatre, one of the three leading classical ballet companies in the United States. On June 30, 2015, Copeland became the first African American woman to be promoted to principal dancer in ABT's 75-year history. Copeland was considered a prodigy who rose to stardom despite not starting ballet until the age of 13.
An illustration of Copeland appears in a I Am the New History spot.