Before the world knew her name, before she broke barriers in ballet and became one of the most recognizable dancers in the country, Misty Copeland was a 13-year-old girl who needed somewhere to belong.
She found that place at a Boys & Girls Club.
Watch the story in the video player below:
On Monday, Oct. 12, Copeland brought that story to Milwaukee, where Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee announced an expansion of arts opportunities intended to help thousands of local children discover their own talents.
Her message was simple: Sometimes, one opportunity — and one person willing to believe in a child — can change everything.
From a Boys & Girls Club to making history
Copeland made history in 2015 when she became the first Black woman promoted to principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre, one of the country's most prestigious ballet companies.
But her path to the top was anything but traditional.
She didn't begin studying ballet until she was 13, an age considered a late start for someone hoping to become a professional dancer.
Growing up, Copeland said her family struggled with instability. Her mother worked long hours, raising six children, and the Boys & Girls Club became a place where she and her siblings could count on safety, structure and familiar faces.
"It literally was the first place that I called home," Copeland said during Monday's event. "Um, I had no consistency and no stability in my life, and the Boys and Girls Club became the first thing that really was that."
She recalled how the Club gave her a sense of community and introduced her to adults she could depend on.
Then came a woman named Cindy. Copeland remembered Cindy Bradley walking into the Club with bright red hair and encouraging her to try something she knew almost nothing about: ballet.
At first, Copeland wasn't interested.
But Bradley's enthusiasm eventually drew her onto a basketball court that had been transformed into a makeshift dance space. Ballet gave Copeland the structure, discipline and creative expression she had been searching for. More importantly, Bradley became a mentor who took an interest in her life beyond dance. Copeland recalled how Bradley would sit her down and ask how she was doing — the kind of personal attention she wasn't accustomed to receiving.
"What she gave me was so far beyond ballet," Copeland said.
Copeland said she eventually lived with Bradley and her family for three years while catching up on the training needed to pursue ballet professionally. Looking back, Copeland said the Club had already given her a foundation, but ballet helped her discover her voice.
"I needed an outlet to express myself," she told TMJ4.
That outlet eventually carried her to the highest rank at American Ballet Theatre.
A Milwaukee dancer sees himself in Copeland's story
For 24-year-old Milwaukee native Davien Holton, hearing Copeland tell her story felt surprisingly familiar.
Holton discovered his own opportunity in the arts around the same age Copeland discovered ballet.
"Which is, that's crazy because she said her opportunity was at 13, that's when I got my like that 12 to 13 was when I got my opportunity and that set me up for what I am now doing in the world," Holton said.
The similarities stood out to him as he listened to a woman who had turned an unexpected opportunity into an extraordinary career.
Holton said dance and the arts have helped shape the person he is today.
"Because the arts is literally how young people express when they can't say the words, when they don't want to speak," he said.
For him, dance is about more than performing. It's a way for young people to communicate feelings they might struggle to put into words.
"Like, I am who I am today because of the arts," Holton said.
Meeting Copeland also reminded him how far dedication and perseverance can take someone.
"It teaches me that perseverance and really staying true to the craft and yourself in the craft will have you going for years and have you in places that you can only dream and imagine," he said.
His story offers a local example of what arts advocates hope more Milwaukee children will experience: an opportunity to discover something they love while they're still figuring out who they want to become.
Expanding opportunities for Milwaukee kids
Copeland's Milwaukee appearance came as Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee announced a deeper investment in youth arts education through its new MarVan Sports & Arts Program and a partnership with TBEY Arts Center.
The organization says the expansion is intended to create more opportunities for thousands of young people to participate in dance and other artistic activities.
The effort addresses a challenge facing many families: access to the arts isn't always equal.
Private lessons, transportation, equipment and simply knowing where to find programs can all create obstacles for children who want to explore music, dance, theater or other creative interests.
Copeland knows firsthand what that access can mean.
She said that without the Boys & Girls Club, she might never have discovered ballet in the first place.
For Contessa Cole, founder and executive director of TBEY Arts Center, the work is about giving young people opportunities to see themselves succeeding in creative fields.
"Representation matters. So when you have someone that looks like you, that's inspiration," Cole said. "That is something that they can look forward to, um, or having a career or pursuing the arts as a career."
Cole has spent more than two decades helping Milwaukee youth connect with the arts.
TBEY is celebrating 26 years, and Cole said the organization is also looking toward expansion, including the possibility of establishing a permanent home of its own.
She acknowledged the growing pains that can come with that work, but said watching young people thrive keeps her motivated.
"What keeps going is young people. Seeing them thrive and being exposed to the arts and what the arts do for them. That's why I keep going," Cole said.
How much talent is being overlooked?
During a question-and-answer session in Milwaukee, Copeland was asked how much talent communities could be missing because children from lower-income families don't always have the same opportunities to participate in the arts.
The question struck an emotional chord.
"It makes me emotional just thinking about it because there's, you know, talent is not defined by how much money you have. I mean it's really about access and opportunity," Copeland said.
She argued that community centers and organizations that serve children from different backgrounds play an essential role in discovering talent that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Copeland also challenged the idea that arts programming is simply something extra for children to do after school.
She described how traditional classroom learning was sometimes difficult for her and how dance helped her connect her mind and body in a way that made learning more meaningful.
For Copeland, arts education is not just about producing professional dancers, musicians or performers.
It's about helping children build confidence, develop discipline, discover their interests and find ways to express themselves.
Her own experience inspired her to establish the Misty Copeland Foundation, which developed the BE BOLD ballet program to create accessible dance opportunities for young people. She said programs inspired by her childhood experience have been implemented in Boys & Girls Clubs in the Bronx and Harlem.
Now, Milwaukee is pursuing its own expanded approach to connecting children with the arts.
More than a visit — a possibility for the next generation
Copeland's visit brought together Milwaukee youth, arts advocates and community leaders around a shared question: What might a child accomplish if given the right opportunity?
When TMJ4 asked Copeland what she saw of herself in the young people gathered in Milwaukee, her answer was filled with optimism.
"I see potential and hope and possibility," she said.
For Holton, seeing someone with a background similar to his succeed on the world stage reinforced something he already believes: The arts can take a young person to places they never imagined.
And for Cole, the hope is that more children will have the chance to discover their creative abilities, whether or not they ever pursue the arts professionally.
Copeland's remarkable career began with a ballet lesson on a basketball court.
For a young dancer in Milwaukee, the next life-changing opportunity might be waiting inside a neighborhood Boys & Girls Club.
How Milwaukee families can get involved
Families interested in dance, music and other arts opportunities can explore programs through Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee at bgcmilwaukee.org.
The organization's website provides information about available programs, Club locations and membership opportunities. Families should contact the organization directly to confirm which arts activities are offered at their nearest location, eligibility, schedules and any participation costs.
Families can also learn about youth arts opportunities through TBEY Arts Center, a Milwaukee organization that has spent 26 years helping young people develop their artistic abilities.
Specific enrollment dates, additional program locations and costs for the newly announced MarVan arts expansion have not yet been confirmed.
For information about the announcement or the new partnership, contact Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee through its official website.
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