India, Oct. 22 -- The American Ballet Theatre's first Black female principal dancer, Misty Copeland, will make her final appearance this week, ending a career that broke barriers and changed ballet for good.

The 42-year-old will be honored at ABT's Fall Gala in New York on Wednesday, October 22, where Oprah Winfrey and Debbie Allen are set to lead tributes. For her last performance, Copeland will dance pieces from Romeo and Juliet and Sinatra Suite, plus a brand-new work created for her by choreographer Kyle Abraham.

In a short Instagram post, ahead of the gala, she wrote, "Although I'll be saying farewell to the stage, I'll always be committed to opening doors and making ballet a place where everyone belongs."

The tickets are priced a...