Ballerina Misty Copeland heading to Broadway’s ‘On the Town’ – San Antonio

Misty Copeland, who just recently made history when she became the first black ballerina to be the principal dancer at American Ballet Theater, is going to be dancing on Broadway.

Copeland is due to join a revival of On the Town from 24 August to 6 September, playing Miss Turnstiles, a love interest of a sailor on shore leave in 1940s New York.

“We are so thrilled to have Misty joining us at this momentous time in her career”, said lead producer Howard Kagan, noting that the original 1944 production featured the Japanese-American dancer Sono Osato in the role of Ivy Smith as part of a racially diverse ensemble.

The move follows a remarkable year for Copeland, in which she has graced the cover of Time Magazine as one of 2015’s “100 Most Influential People”, and danced a number of classic leading roles in ballets including Swan Lake.

The singing may be a tiny bit daunting for the dancer who says that only Twyla Tharp has ever heard her sing, but for the woman who declares “I will what I want” in her ad for Under Armour, now with over 8 million views, staying on key will be just another thing she will conquer. The role is now filled by Megan Fairchild, a principal dancer at the prestigious New York City Ballet. (Her replacement until Copeland takes over has yet to be announced.) When Fairchild went on vacation, Tiler Peck, a NYCB principal dancer, briefly took over for her sister-in-law.

The ballerina will play six performances during the eight-show week, including the Tuesday, Thursday and Friday evening shows, as well as the matinees on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. “Because I think it’s so special and I think the arts can do so much for a person, not just a child”. Copeland has been noted for saying that her work of proving herself will never be over, and that this new earned role “is just a start” of what she hopes to present as the future of dance. “It’s completely changed and altered my life in so many awesome ways”.