This summer, Misty Copeland will step into a different kind of spotlight. Instead of taking center stage as a dancer, she will help determine what audiences see onstage as curator of the 2026 Joyce Ballet Festival. Taking place August 4 through August 16 at The Joyce Theater in New York City, the two-week celebration will bring together dancers, choreographers and companies representing a broad spectrum of ballet. The festival gives Copeland an opportunity to share not only her appreciation for ballet’s traditions, but also her vision for its future.

Copeland understands better than most how powerful a ballet stage can be. Her historic career with American Ballet Theatre changed the conversation about representation in one of the world’s most traditional performing arts. When she became the company’s first Black woman to reach the rank of principal dancer, her achievement carried significance far beyond a personal milestone. It gave young dancers of color a new image of what was possible and challenged the industry to reconsider who belonged at the center of ballet.

That history informs the perspective she brings to the festival. Copeland has spent much of her career moving between performance, mentorship, advocacy and storytelling. Her curatorial role allows her to bring those interests together by creating a program that does not treat ballet as a museum piece. Instead, the festival presents dance as an evolving language capable of carrying classical traditions into new cultural and artistic territory.

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Audiences will encounter a mixture of established works and contemporary creations during the festival. Classical ballet vocabulary will share space with choreography that pushes dancers toward different physical, emotional and theatrical possibilities. The result is intended to give audiences a broader understanding of the art form while demonstrating that tradition and innovation do not have to be competing forces.

The lineup also provides an opportunity to see dancers from different artistic environments. Performers connected to organizations including American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Houston Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem and Complexions Contemporary Ballet are among those represented in the festival. Each company carries its own history and artistic identity, making their participation part of a larger conversation about the many ways ballet can be performed and interpreted.

The presence of Dance Theatre of Harlem is particularly meaningful within the larger story of Copeland’s career and the evolution of Black representation in ballet. Founded during a period when opportunities for Black dancers were severely limited, the company helped demonstrate that excellence and classical training could flourish in a Black cultural environment. Its legacy continues to influence dancers and audiences, making its connection to a festival curated by Copeland especially resonant.

The program also reaches beyond a single definition of contemporary ballet. Choreographers with different backgrounds and artistic philosophies contribute to an evening that can move from recognizable classical structures to works shaped by modern dance, theater, popular culture and new approaches to movement. That diversity reflects a generation of artists who increasingly see ballet not as a rigid vocabulary but as a foundation from which they can explore.

For New York audiences, the festival offers something that is increasingly valuable: the opportunity to experience outstanding dancers in an intimate setting. The Joyce is known for presenting dance in a theater where audiences can see movement and artistry up close. That environment can make a familiar ballet work feel newly personal while allowing experimental pieces to communicate with unusual immediacy.

Copeland’s role as curator also sends a message about the importance of artistic leadership. The people who select performers and choreography help determine which stories receive attention and which artists receive opportunities. By bringing a range of voices into the festival, Copeland is using that responsibility to broaden the conversation around ballet. Her choices can introduce audiences to artists they may not otherwise encounter while encouraging longtime ballet followers to look at the form from a different perspective.

The 2026 Joyce Ballet Festival ultimately arrives at an important moment for the art form. Ballet is carrying centuries of tradition into an era defined by changing audiences, broader representation and increasingly adventurous choreography. Copeland’s festival reflects that transition. For two weeks in August, The Joyce will become a meeting place for the familiar and the unexpected—a celebration of where ballet came from and a preview of where it may be going. And with Misty Copeland helping shape the conversation, the future of ballet promises to be as expansive as the dancers who are defining it.

Based on reporting by The Positive Community.

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By Post Staff

The Bay Area Chapter of 100 Black Men is sending nine youth athletes from its 100 Black Wings’ Team Oakland Delegation to Taiwan on Thursday, July 30, to represent the City of Oakland at the 58th International Children’s Games (IGC) in Hualien County, Taiwan.

The Games will bring together young athletes ages 12 to 15 from 76 city delegations around the world. The opening ceremony is scheduled for Aug. 2, and athletic competitions take place Aug. 3-5.

While many international competitions center around national teams, the ICG brings young people together as representatives of their respective cities. This year’s theme – “Shining Hualien, Shining Together!” – reflects the host city’s vision of using sports, education, culture, and tourism to promote friendship, peace, inclusion, and sustainable development.

“Team Oakland’s participation demonstrates what can happen when young people are given opportunity, preparation, and a community that believes in them,” said Danny L. Williams, chairman of 100 Black Men of the Bay Area, Inc. 

“These athletes will carry Oakland’s talent, strength, and spirit onto an international stage while building relationships that can extend far beyond the competition,” he said.

Team Oakland will compete in track and field events including the 100-meter and 400-meter races, hurdles, long jump, shot put, javelin, and traditional and mixed 4×100-meter relays.

The athletes representing Oakland are: DeWayne Littlepage, Gia Goodlow, Abisewolu Redmond, Mahari Moore, Marvin Thomas, Najae Ellison, Royal Moore, Sir Kamryn Lloyd, and Jasani Highsmith.

The delegation’s coaching leadership includes Head Coach Dr. Tommie Smith, the

1968 Olympic gold medalist in the 200-meter sprint; Senior Coach Margaret Dixon;

Girls Coach Evangela Dixon; Strength and Conditioning Coach Nola Turnage;

and Boys Coach Michael Flood, Jr.

Delegation leadership also includes Williams, Head of Delegation Juanita Metters-Upshur, and city representative Dr. Mark Alexander. 

“Our athletes have trained with tremendous discipline, but this journey represents much more than competition,” said Metters-Upshur, head of delegation.  “They will have the opportunity to travel internationally, proudly represent Oakland, experience another culture, and form friendships with young people from communities across the world.  We are incredibly proud of them and grateful to the families, coaches, partners, and supporters who have helped make this experience possible.”

In addition to track and field, the games will feature swimming, tennis, table tennis, Taekwondo, archery, football, and 3×3 basketball. Hualien County is located between Taiwan’s Central Mountain Range and the Pacific Ocean and hosts the International Children’s Games for the first time this year.

The International Children’s Games were founded in 1968 by Slovenian coach Metod Klemenc, based on the belief that sports can bridge differences in culture, religion, and race. 

The ICG is approved by the International Olympic Committee and emphasizes friendship, fair play, teamwork, perseverance, and cultural understanding among young people.

The Oakland delegation’s participation reflects the 100 Black Wings’ programmatic commitment to developing young people through athletic achievement, discipline, leadership, cultural exposure, and global citizenship.  

Team Oakland is supported by a network of families, coaches, community partners, and advocates who believe that international experiences can expand how young people view themselves and their possibilities.

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