Later describing herself as an anxious child, Copeland was able to find solace in the halls of school and the world of performance, developing a love of movement and connecting with the story of Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci. Copeland would perform dance routines at home to the songs of another icon, Mariah Carey, and eventually was chosen to be the captain of her drill team at her middle school. The teacher who ran the team thought Copeland should take ballet classes at the Boys and Girls Club she already attended. Copeland eventually did so under the tutelage of Cynthia "Cindy" Bradley, who realized that the youngster was a prodigy, able to see and perform choreographed movement immediately and dance en pointe after a very short period of ballet training.
