A rare speaking engagement by ballet star Misty Copeland will highlight the 2017-18 series of the E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
In 2015, Copeland became the first black female principal dancer in the American Ballet Theatre’s 75-year history. The artist, author, entrepreneur and humanitarian will discuss how she broke barriers and how her work has inspired young people in “A Conversation with Misty Copeland” at 7 p.m. Feb. 13, 2018, in Kimball Recital Hall. The event is presented by the Lied Center for Performing Arts.
“The opportunity to host a conversation with one of the world’s leading performing artists is extremely rare,” said Bill Stephan, Lied Center executive director. “Misty Copeland has inspired millions of people around the world with her incredible artistic achievements.”
A limited number of $10 general admission tickets will go on sale from the Lied Center beginning at 11 a.m. Jan. 8, with some free tickets available for students at Nebraska. Details will be announced in January.
Copeland will also perform the iconic title role in Igor Stravinsky’s “Firebird” Feb. 16 at the Lied. The performance, a collaboration between the American Ballet Theatre and the St. Louis Symphony, is supported by the estate of alumnus Glenn Korff and will be recognized as the GK Platinum Command Performance.
Other events in the E.N. Thompson series are:
Oct. 10, 7 p.m., Lied Center – Mark Blyth, a political economist who predicted both Brexit and the election of Donald Trump, will present “Why People Vote for Those Who Work Against Their Best Interests.” He will share what the shifts of power mean for financial markets, the fate of the European Union, and the political and economic climate in the United States.
Nov. 7, 7 p.m., Lied Center – Renowned for their wit, humor and eloquence, members of the United Kingdom’s English-Speaking Union tour the United States each year, debating the best and brightest at institutions of higher learning. The list of tour alumni include a British prime minister, a leader of the opposition, an archbishop of Canterbury and many politicians, journalists and businesspeople. On Nov. 7, the British national debate team will spar with the Nebraska speech and debate team on a topic to be determined. The Chuck and Linda Wilson Dialogue is sponsored by the Department of Communication Studies and the Center for Civic Engagement.
Event summaries and biographical information on the speakers is available on the Thompson Forum website here.
Free tickets to the Oct. 10 and Nov. 7 events are now available from the Lied Center. To order tickets, click here or call the Lied Center ticket office at 402-472-4747. The forums are general admission, with seating on a first-come, first-served basis.
Events are streamed online on the Thompson Forum website and are available on the Lincoln City and Education TV channels, campus channel 4 and KRNU radio 90.3 FM. All events are interpreted for the deaf and hard of hearing.
A pre-talk is delivered by an expert on the topic in the Steinhart Room 30 minutes before each forum.
The E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues is a cooperative project of the Cooper Foundation, the Lied Center and the university. It was established in 1988 with the purpose of bringing a diversity of viewpoints on international and public policy issues to the university and people of Nebraska to promote understanding and encourage debate.
