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.

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 City of Berkeley, California

Berkeley Public Health recommends families catch up on immunizations before the new school year begins 

Parents, check that your children return to school up to date on vaccinations. If necessary, schedule a visit with your family’s doctor or with the City of Berkeley’s Immunization Clinic to catch up.

Vaccines protect your household and also limit the spread of diseases such as measles and polio. The higher the vaccination rate in a community, the greater the protection for everyone – especially the most vulnerable. 

Families are encouraged to:

• Check their child’s vaccination records. Ask their health care provider or check  California’s Digital Vaccine Record portal.
• Schedule a check-up with your child’s doctor.

If your child doesn’t have a health care provider, you may be able to access free vaccinations through the City of Berkeley’s Immunization Clinic. Make an appointment by calling (510) 981-5350, emailing phmailbox@berkeleyca.gov, or booking online.

See what shots are required for pre-kindergarten or TK-12th grade, and check that your kids have all their recommended vaccines.

FREE VACCINE CLINICS AUG. 4-13

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Children without health insurance or whose insurance doesn’t cover vaccines can get them for free:

City of Berkeley Immunization Clinic
West Berkeley Family Wellness Center
1900 Sixth St.

Hours: Tuesdays–Thursdays, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. 
Closed 12 p.m.–1 p.m.

Make an appointment between Aug. 4–6 or Aug. 11–13 for back-to-school vaccine clinics:

• Call: (510) 981-5350
• Email: phmailbox@berkeleyca.gov
• Book online

Children 18 years and under are eligible for free City vaccines if they are:

• Medicaid-eligible
• Uninsured
• Underinsured (insurance does not cover vaccines)
• American Indian or Alaska Native

If you are unsure whether you or your child is up to date, the City of Berkeley Vaccination Clinic can help review records and provide recommended vaccines.

FAMILY WELLNESS RESOURCES

Vaccines are just one of the many public health services you can access at the West Berkeley Family Wellness Center. The center is home to the Women, Infants, and Children program, nutrition support, case management services, and a variety of family support services, plus free classes throughout the year.

Vaccinations aren’t just for kids. Throughout adult life, everyone should keep up with their vaccination needs. See recommended vaccines for adults. 

Get a healthy start to the school year. Check your child’s vaccinations. Make an appointment with your doctor or get free vaccines at the City clinic.

VACCINE INFORMATION AND FAMILY RESOURCES

• City of Berkeley Immunization Clinic
• TK–12 school vaccine requirements:
  • Required vaccinations for kids in childcare (before TK) (CDPH)
  • Required vaccinations for kids in TK through 12th grade (CDPH)
  • California’s Digital Vaccine Record portal
• Family support services:
  • West Berkeley Family Wellness Center
  • Women, Infants, and Children program

Get trusted information about the City of Berkeley by bookmarking berkeleyca.gov, subscribing to our newsletter, and following us on Bluesky and Instagram.

bpusa-syndication

Posts by bpusa-syndication

By City of Berkeley, California

Berkeley Public Health recommends families catch up on immunizations before the new school year begins 

Parents, check that your children return to school up to date on vaccinations. If necessary, schedule a visit with your family’s doctor or with the City of Berkeley’s Immunization Clinic to catch up.

Vaccines protect your household and also limit the spread of diseases such as measles and polio. The higher the vaccination rate in a community, the greater the protection for everyone – especially the most vulnerable. 

Families are encouraged to:

• Check their child’s vaccination records. Ask their health care provider or check  California’s Digital Vaccine Record portal.
• Schedule a check-up with your child’s doctor.

If your child doesn’t have a health care provider, you may be able to access free vaccinations through the City of Berkeley’s Immunization Clinic. Make an appointment by calling (510) 981-5350, emailing phmailbox@berkeleyca.gov, or booking online.

See what shots are required for pre-kindergarten or TK-12th grade, and check that your kids have all their recommended vaccines.

FREE VACCINE CLINICS AUG. 4-13

Children without health insurance or whose insurance doesn’t cover vaccines can get them for free:

City of Berkeley Immunization Clinic
West Berkeley Family Wellness Center
1900 Sixth St.

Hours: Tuesdays–Thursdays, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. 
Closed 12 p.m.–1 p.m.

Make an appointment between Aug. 4–6 or Aug. 11–13 for back-to-school vaccine clinics:

• Call: (510) 981-5350
• Email: phmailbox@berkeleyca.gov
• Book online

Children 18 years and under are eligible for free City vaccines if they are:

• Medicaid-eligible
• Uninsured
• Underinsured (insurance does not cover vaccines)
• American Indian or Alaska Native

If you are unsure whether you or your child is up to date, the City of Berkeley Vaccination Clinic can help review records and provide recommended vaccines.

FAMILY WELLNESS RESOURCES

Vaccines are just one of the many public health services you can access at the West Berkeley Family Wellness Center. The center is home to the Women, Infants, and Children program, nutrition support, case management services, and a variety of family support services, plus free classes throughout the year.

Vaccinations aren’t just for kids. Throughout adult life, everyone should keep up with their vaccination needs. See recommended vaccines for adults. 

Get a healthy start to the school year. Check your child’s vaccinations. Make an appointment with your doctor or get free vaccines at the City clinic.

VACCINE INFORMATION AND FAMILY RESOURCES

• City of Berkeley Immunization Clinic
• TK–12 school vaccine requirements:
  • Required vaccinations for kids in childcare (before TK) (CDPH)
  • Required vaccinations for kids in TK through 12th grade (CDPH)
  • California’s Digital Vaccine Record portal
• Family support services:
  • West Berkeley Family Wellness Center
  • Women, Infants, and Children program

Get trusted information about the City of Berkeley by bookmarking berkeleyca.gov, subscribing to our newsletter, and following us on Bluesky and Instagram.

bpusa-syndication

Posts by bpusa-syndication