American Ballerina, Misty Copeland has come across our radar before. Her breathtaking talent has appeared on Under Armour commercials, made her an Instagram star, and uplifted her as a positive representative of the black and female cohorts. As a child, Misty was sent rejection letters from ballet academies, citing her bust, torso length, and muscular physique as reasons for denied entry. She was told, “you have the wrong body.” As an adult, she’s faced further denial for roles in performances such as Swan Lake, due to her darker skin tone. Well if you’ve seen Misty perform, if only in a youtube clip, it’s safe to say that their loss was her gain.

It was just announced that Misty has been named principal dancer, promoting her to the highest ranking position at the American Ballet Theatre, and making her the first black female principal dancer in the company’s 75-year history. Huge congratulations to Misty. We thank her for her influence and grace.