There are some dancers that are so gifted, so talented that they become legendary. Here is a look at seven amazing female dancers that have influenced the dance world.
- Misty Copeland – Copeland was the first African American female to become a principal dancer for the American Ballet Theatre. The company had been in existence for 75 years.
- Gillian Murphy – current principal dancer for the American Ballet Theatre. Murphy has appeared in several popular dance movies including Center Stage and Black Swan.
- Maria Tallchief – Tallchief holds the honor of being not only America’s first-ever prima ballerina, but she was the very first Native American to earn that title. She performed in dozens of classical ballets, but she is most well-known for her performance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.
- Margot Fonteyn – Fonteyn performed as a ballerina in the Royal Ballet. She was known for her grace, beauty, and musicality. Her unique and graceful dance style helped change how people viewed classical ballet.
- Josephine Baker – a talented French dancer who became the first African American to star in a major motion picture. Baker wasn’t just a dancer, she was also a civil rights activist and a fighter against the French Resistance.
- Martha Graham – Graham changed the dance world by choreographing works that required dancers to make jagged, angular, sharp movements. Her choreography and dance style was so revolutionary that she is considered by many to be the founder of modern dance in America.
- Anna Pavlova – a French prima ballerina who, in 1911, went on to form the world’s first touring ballet company. She performed in many different ballets, but she is most well-known for dancing the lead in The Dying Swan.
