Misty Copeland returned to the American Ballet Theatre last week, but not on stage. Instead, the company’s first Black female principal dancer attended as a spectator.
Copeland, who retired from the company in 2025, joined hundreds of guests in attendance for American Ballet Theatre’s 2026 Fall Gala: Angels and Demons. The annual benefit serves as ABT’s flagship fundraiser, raising millions to support its dancers, new commissions, educational programs and community engagement initiatives.
Copeland, now on the American Ballet Theatre Board of Trustees, is fully embracing the role of audience member.
“This is about having fun and really putting yourself in the stories of what you’re seeing, which is what you’re supposed to do when you come to see the ballet or the theater,” she stated to EBONY during the pre-show cocktail reception inside the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City.
Moving on from questions like “what are we seeing you in next,” Copeland has had the chance to step outside that equation and just enjoy the night, where you can “let everything go from the outside world,” she advised.
The night commenced by honoring Cynthia Erivo for her extraordinary artistry and her contributions to the performing arts. EBONY Power 100 honoree Debbie Allen introduced the Wicked star before she received her award:
“A God-given instrument that ranges somewhere between Leontyne Price and Aretha Franklin. The roles that she takes say she’s not just in the theater and film to entertain, but she is there to examine the human condition,” Allen gushed.
Erivo, named Pathbreaker of the Year at the 2024 EBONY Power 100, expressed to EBONY how honored she was to receive the ABT recognition.
After the gala performances—curated by Artistic Director Susan Jaffe and featuring Agnes de Mille’s Three Virgins and a Devil alongside excerpts from Swan Lake, Whipped Cream, and Sylvia—guests attended the after-party, which included a performance of “Thriller” from the ABT kids, directed by ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School dean and wellness director Aubrey Lynch.