Misty Copeland at age 33 is making history.

On June 30, 2015 she became the first African-American female principal dancer with the prestigious American Ballet Theatre in New York.

To me that’s a big deal, being a fan of dance. Going to a ballet performance you rarely see a person of color on stage, or at least standing on the front lines.

While she is not the first African-American ballerina on Broadway, she is the first African-American ballerina to play the leading role in the world-renowned Swan Lake.

Did I mention that Misty Copeland is one of the top ballerinas on the planet?

Having that platform, Misty said that she plans on using it to speak on diversity. In an interview with Valentino Carlotti she said, “…I have to speak about diversity, I’m motivated by all of those young dancers who can see themselves through me. It’s about creating a new dream and possibility for them, and that’s what drives me to keep dancing.”

Misty has broken many barriers. She has made it to where many African-American dancers want to be, especially young girls. What young girl doesn’t want to be named prima ballerina, I know when I was younger I wanted to a prima ballerina, but as I got older I didn’t want that anymore, only because I did not see many African Americans in the performance. I remember going to watch The Nutcracker; I did not see not one African American on the stage and I felt a little discouraged.

I have to say Misty Copeland is my new favorite ballerina. Not because she’s black, but because she inspired me along with thousands of others to start dancing. So way to go Misty. You are one step closer to making the world of ballet more diverse.