American Ballet Theatre Principal Dancer Misty Copeland To Meet With Sallie B. Howard Students
Wilson, NC – International ballet star Misty Copeland will make a virtual visit to Sallie B. Howard (SBH) School next week. The history-making ballerina will Zoom with 4-10 grade SBH Dance and Theatre students on Thursday, November 19 to share her life and career as a principal dancer of the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) – the first African American woman ever promoted to that position.
This coveted appearance was arranged by Dirk Lumbard, SBH’s award-winning Tap Dance and Musical Theatre instructor who spent many years on Broadway as a choreographer and performer. Lumbard’s credits include Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Music Man, and The Wizard of Oz. He met Copeland in 2015 during ABT’s production of Agnes de Mille’s Rodeo, in which Copeland starred as the “Cowgirl” and Lumbard served as the tap dance coach.
“I couldn’t be more excited for the students to meet Misty Copeland,” says Lumbard, a native of Seattle, WA who has performed in 14 shows in North Carolina, including at the Kennedy Family Theatre at Barton College and the Edna Boykin Cultural Center in downtown Wilson. “She’s a beautiful speaker and someone who is very passionate about giving back.”
Lumbard believes it’s important for students to be exposed to professional artists as a way to inspire them to dream and to seriously pursue a career in the arts. He is responsible for bringing acclaimed Broadway actors Jeremy Stolle (Phantom of the Opera) and Ken Page (The Nightmare Before Christmas) to SBH this year and is set to have Tony Award-winning actress Rachel Bay Jones (Dear Evan Hansen) visit the school in the coming weeks.
Mr. Lumbard, who also teaches part-time at East Carolina University’s School of Theatre and Dance, ultimately wants to help students find a good school or university that fits their career goals. “I tell my students all the time: you don’t have to do art for a living. But I do think you have to have art in your life to express yourself and thrive as a human being. There is a little artist in all of us, and I think it helps us be happier when we allow that artist in us to shine.”
For more on Misty Copeland, visit her website at mistycopeland.com.