Ballerina Misty Copeland’s last NYC dance sees tickets go for $4K as scalpers charge tutu much

Misty Copeland made her last pirouette across the stage at Lincoln Center on Wednesday in front of a packed house of celebrities and devoted fans who were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the iconic and trailblazing ballerina before she retired.

Copeland was showered with golden glitter and flowers after she wowed the crowd at the David H. Koch Theater one last time in the American Ballet Theater’s Gala one-night-only performance, centered entirely on the first black dancer to attain principal status at the highly prestigious company.

A who’s who of theatre, fashion and television icons – including Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King and renowned “Fame” choreographer Debbie Allen –  came out for Copeland’s final act.

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“Misty didn’t just perform ballet,” Winfrey said in a speech at the end of the gala. “She changed it. She redefined who belongs, who gets to be seen, and who gets to lead.”

Copeland on Wednesday night revived her portrayal of Odette/Odile for a “Swan Lake” excerpt and danced through the “Romeo and Juliet” balcony scene. 

Her final performance was a piece from Twyla Tharp’s “Sinatra Suite” alongside Herman Cornejo, one of her favorite partners.

When the speeches wrapped up, Copeland was honored with a quintessential ballet farewell as a swath of colleagues, friends and family congratulated her one by one, all while glitter rained down on the stage.

Copeland’s 3-year-old son, Harrison, also toddled across the stage in a tuxedo to hug his mother during curtain call. 

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American Ballet Theater’s principal dancer, James Whiteside, praised Copeland for helping usher in a new era of ballet as he walked the red carpet ahead of the highly-anticipated gala. 

“Misty is a very special dancer, she’s very American in that she can do a lot of other different styles of dance,” Whiteside told Page Six.

“She has brought classical ballet to a lot of people, she’s incredibly famous and I think that’s really an amazing thing for the world of ballet and to keep the art form moving forward,” Whiteside said. 

Copeland, 43, is hanging up her ballet slippers with the ABT to focus on the foundations she established throughout the years.

She originally took a break from dancing with the ABT five years ago to focus on starting her family and raising her young son.

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Copeland first took up ballet when she was 13 – a relatively late start for the industry – but quickly excelled and earned scholarships to the acclaimed San Francisco Ballet School and, later, the ABT. 

She made history when she became the company’s second black female soloist in 2007, and in 2015, its first black woman principal dancer in the ABT’s 85-year history.

The New York-based ABT, founded in 1939, is considered one of the premier classical ballet companies in the US.

She went on to have an illustrious career outside of ballet, starring in a Prince music video and penning a New York Times bestseller.

“I could never have imagined the life ballet would give me,” Copeland said in a statement.

“To dance on the world’s greatest stages, with artists I admire so deeply, has been one of the greatest gifts of my life. My time with ABT has shaped me not just as a dancer, but as a person, and given me the platform to reach back and make space for others,” she continued.

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“This moment isn’t a farewell, it’s a celebration of everything we’ve built together, and a step toward all the work that’s still ahead.”

The ABT had hawked the coveted tickets between just $90 and $950 — but third-party sellers took advantage of the rare moment to price-gouge Copeland’s devoted fans, a move the ABT and Lincoln Center tried and failed to mitigate.

The $4,285 tickets — the priciest that The Post had seen this week — being sold on Stubhub were already scooped up by Wednesday morning.

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That left just a handful of $3,000 orchestra seats open, as well as a more reasonably priced $700 option available in the second ring.

Even the nosebleeds were going for the prima donna price tag of $400.

For comparison, the highest face-value ticket for a previous Copeland performance in 2018 and 2019 was $450, the ABT told The Post.

Additionally, a rear orchestra seat for an ABT this Saturday — sans Copeland— will cost just $200 bucks.

Fortunately, for the economically minded, the ABT, The Misty Copeland Foundation and Lincoln Center are streaming a simulcast at Alice Tully Hall.

“Misty Copeland represents community, and we wanted to make this evening as accessible as possible,” said Aubrey Lynch, dean of students and director of ABT Rise, told CBS News.

With Post wires