Misty Copeland's final bow at the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) marks the end of a 25-year chapter that changed the face of classical ballet.
On 22 October 2025, Misty Copeland gives her farewell performance with ABT, closing a historic career that began when she joined the company at just 18 years old. Now 43, Copeland insists this is not retirement, but a conscious decision to move beyond the institution that both propelled and restricted her. After five years off the main stage due to the pandemic and motherhood, she describes her exit as 'a release' rather than an ending.
