A group of young ballerinas from a Chicago dance troupe received a thrill of a lifetime when they appeared on Steve Harvey's talk show Friday, the Huffington Post reported.
The ballerinas from the Mayfair Performance Company on Chicago's south side were surprised and delighted when Harvey introduced the dancers to their role model — ballet star Misty Copeland.
Copeland has broken barriers in ballet, becoming the only black dancer with the American Ballet Theatre in New York. Copeland, 34, joined the group when she was 17.
In 2015, Copeland broke another barrier as she was declared a principal in the American Ballet Theatre, becoming the first becoming the first black female principal in its 75-year history, the Huffington Post reported. Copeland has written a children's book and memoir and has spoken extensively about her mission to diversify the ballet landscape for future generations.
"You know one day, if you study this long enough," Harvey told the Mayfair dancers during his show, "one day you could meet her. One day you could be her. Wouldn't that be exciting?"
He then asked the ballet dancers to turn around, and they screamed when Copeland entered the stage, the Huffington Post reported.
The Mayfair girls then showed Copeland their own skills on the show, performing a dance routine.
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