Misty Copeland Honored at Lincoln Center Summer Gala with John Legend Performance

On Monday evening, Lincoln Center's Summer Gala at David Geffen Hall celebrated ballerina Misty Copeland and Andreas C. Dracopoulos, president of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. Copeland was the first recipient of the Luminary Award, which honors outstanding performance artists with a commitment to civic engagement. This event marked the kickoff for Summer in the City, an eight-week festival featuring free and pay-what-you-can activities starting June 10. Dressed in a Michael Kors Collection outfit, Copeland was accompanied by philanthropist Jody Gottfried Arnhold and Donald Borror from the Pasculano Collaborative for Contemporary Dance. Dracopoulos was acknowledged for the foundation's contributions to new gardens and an amphitheater at Lincoln Center West, expected in 2028. The night included a surprise performance by Alice Smith, followed by Copeland accepting her award from Thelma Golden, director of the Studio Museum. John Legend also performed a piano tribute to Copeland, who expressed the significance of her new position on Lincoln Center's Board of Trustees as a Black woman and affirmed her dedication to dancing despite her departure from American Ballet Theatre.