Ballerina Misty Copeland, who became the first Black female principal dancer in the history of the American Ballet Theatre in New York ten years ago, performed for the last time on the ballet stage on Wed., Oct. 22, 2025. In this Dec. 14, 2014 profile, Anthony Mason visited with the breakthrough star who’d joined ABT’s corps de ballet in 2001, and she described how change is coming slowly to the world of classical dance. | CBS Sunday Morning

Performing in “The Firebird” when she was still a soloist changed the course of Misty Copeland’s career, the legendary ballerina told Gayle ahead of her farewell performance with American Ballet Theatre — but her performance also changed the art form: “It was a real shift in where we are in the ballet world today.” Watch more of Copeland’s conversation in a broadcast exclusive interview tomorrow on CBS Mornings. | CBS Mornings