Misty Copeland to star in 'Swan Lake' with Washington Ballet WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- Misty Copeland will star in a Washington Ballet production of Swan Lake. The 32-year-old American Ballet Theatre soloist will portray the dual role of Odette/Odile, with Washington Ballet dancer Brooklyn Mack as Prince Siegfried. Copeland and Mack are among the few African-American dancers to be cast in the roles at any ballet company. "I've been a fan of Misty's for years," artistic director Septime Webre told the Washington Post. There's a freshness and newness that she brings to what she's doing, and with the attention she's receiving now, it's an exciting moment. "To give her the opportunity to dance her first Swan Lake in the U.S. this spring, and to pair her with Brooklyn Mack, questions some notions about who should be dancing principal roles in classical ballet," he continued. Copeland was made a soloist at American Ballet Theatre in 2007, and previously starred in the company's Australian production of Swan Lake in September. Her 2014 memoir, Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina, addresses her struggle as an African American ballerina. "It certainly goes against traditional casting," the dancer said in a statement. I am so pleased to have the opportunity to show that African American ballerinas can also conform to the traditional vision for a swan as feminine and sylph-like while also being artistically and physically powerful. Copeland and the Washington Ballet will perform Swan Lake at the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theatre April 8-12, 2015.