Misty Copeland is having herself one good year. In June the ballerina was the first African-American woman to be named a principle dancer at the American Ballet Theatre, and she was also the first African-American to land the lead role in company's production of "Swan Lake." The dancer also announced her engagement to long-time boyfriend, Olu Evans!
The 32-year-old dancer revealed the exciting news in the September issue of Essence. Evans, a corporate attorney, and the dancer dated for 10 years before their engagement. They even shared an apartment on Manhattan's Upper West Side, according to the Wall Street Journal. "I can't believe my life right now," she gushed to Essence.
The ballerina already started to plan her dream wedding. Copeland said she already knew exactly what she was looking for in a wedding gown.
"I'd like to show my figure, somewhat-romantic and elegant. I don't think I want to go super poofy or anything like that. It's very different for a performer, a ballerina, someone who is onstage a lot and wears big costumes," the ballerina told Vanity Fair. "So it's not like this is my chance to be that way, because that's something I do every day, almost. I want to feel like myself-but more beautiful than I do every day."
Copeland, an Under Armor-sponsored athlete, also discussed her history-making success with the American Ballet Theatre. "I never knew it was going to get to this level. There are a lot of times when I wish it wasn't so much. But I wanted this type of exposure for the dance community. I wanted it to be an opportunity for me to educate people and get them to become ballet fans and to educate them on what it means to be a black dancer - a black ballet dancer," she told Essence.
