Misty Copeland in Le Corsaire.

American Ballet Theatre is the recipient of a $250,000 gift from music legend Prince. The gift, announced at a press conference held on February 7 at Madison Square Garden, will benefit ABT’s arts education programs. ABT Soloist Misty Copeland, who performed with Prince during his most recent “Welcome 2 America” tour, presented the check to ABT Executive Director Rachel S. Moore at this special ceremony. Gifts were also awarded to the Harlem Children’s Zone and the Uptown Dance Academy. Scholarship students from the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School joined other young students to meet the seven-time Grammy winner following the press conference.

“This is an incredible gift for American Ballet Theatre,” said Rachel Moore. “To have Prince champion the cause of furthering the education of aspiring artists shows a commitment to the next generation and their future success. This significant donation will go a long way toward achieving our goals of cultivating and nurturing young dancers through ABT’s training and outreach programs.”

“A function of our love for the next generation is instilling in them our own hard-fought knowledge,” said Prince. “We can’t wait and see‚Äîor only hope for‚Äîthe future of those coming after us. We must actively take responsibility for ensuring their success.”

For more information on American Ballet Theatre, please visit www.abt.org.

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