at 25, missy copeland made history at american ballet theater's first african-american soloist in twos. >> reporter: a lot of people see you and your success as seeing a chance they can take a chance and follow their dreams. what is it like to be in that position? >> i always say it's a lot of pressure to put on someone to carry an entire race, but it's happened that way for me. and i'm comfortable with that and i feel that it's a part of why i'm here. not just to be a dancer, but to be that person for someone. >> reporter: of the more than 370 dancers at the nation's top ballet company, just 25 are women of color. a fact missy copeland and the american ballet theater are now work to go change. >> the issue is really access. it's about the pipeline. it's identifying really talented kids early and getting them what they need is the key. ♪ >> reporter: when you see her dance in this room and you know a lot of it has come from you. >> so emotional. it feels like change is happening. >> reporter: abt and copeland recently launched a project an initiative aimed at diversifying the nation's