Ieema Copeland’s journey has taken her from collaborating with hip-hop heavyweights like Roddy Ricch and BLXST to stepping into the global spotlight as one of Kendrick Lamar’s “K. Dot Angels” during his 2025 Super Bowl performance. While that wasn’t the official name for the four women who performed alongside Lamar during “Not Like Us”—Copeland, Syera, Messiah Butler, and Candice Savage— it quickly spread online after their performance went viral.
Copeland and her fellow dancers played a pivotal role in bringing Lamar’s record-breaking show to life. For Copeland, though, this was just one chapter in a career shaped by dedication, passion, and perseverance.
We sat down with the dancer to hear about the intense rehearsals, her experience working with Lamar, and the lessons she’s gained along the way. Copeland also reflected on the challenges and rewards of the industry and offered thoughtful advice to aspiring dancers who hope to follow in her footsteps.
Ieema Copeland as a “K. Dot Angel” (on the right behind Kendrick).
How did you first get involved with Kendrick’s team?
Before Super Bowl preparations kicked off, the women had to secure a highly anticipated callback from choreographer Charm La’Donna, the mastermind behind the choreography for Lamar’s projects, including “squabble up.”
“I did a Grammy campaign commercial for him back in 2016 when I was in my prelims. Then, I got the call for ‘Not Like Us,’ and then I got another call for the Super Bowl. My initial reaction [when I got the news] was very numb in a way because Super Bowls are a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Then, just knowing my journey of being too short … A lot of things were against me for a long time. Not having a dance agency for years and just pushing my own pen and my own entity …It was just like, ‘Nah, this can’t be happening right now,’” she said.
What were rehearsals like leading up to the performance?
Rehearsals for the epic performance kicked off in December and continued up until the showtime, lasting anywhere from eight to fourteen hours per day (yes, you read that right).
“You work, condition, sleep, repeat. It was back-to-back, and things changed every day. When you have 100+ dancers in a room and dealing with different energies…it wasn’t for the weak…” Copeland said.
The full details of the performance remained largely under wraps. According to Copeland, some elements were initially a surprise to the dancers themselves. “We didn’t know a lot of moving parts. We didn’t even know that Samuel Jackson was the narrator,” she said.
Despite the mystery surrounding much of the performance, Copeland and the other dancers were able to pull together an all-encompassing production–with plenty of special effects.
“I know we had to be characters, but I think coming in and out of the car through rehearsal was my favorite part, even though it was tiring climbing up the stairs,” she said.
The various stages were designed to resemble a PlayStation controller button, with the one featuring Lamar’s GNX standing out as a key special effect in his performance. Ladders mounted underneath the vintage car allowed dancers to climb out in a dramatic fashion, turning the vehicle into a colorful, dynamic clown car.
“It was just cool to utilize the different stages because there were four or five [and] each stage required a different energy,” she said.
What were some of the challenges that you had to overcome?
“If your head is off in a certain angle or position, you will mess up the whole picture. If you step out of line at one point, everything would just come down and crumble,” she said.
In addition to making every move perfect, each stage required the dancers to transform into different characters.
“[We would] come from the car, “squabble up,” then we would go into the “peekaboo” girls, and then I’m running across the field changing into a different color. It was like being able to be a chameleon.”
“Jitters and adrenaline happen, and I didn’t realize how big the stage was and how many people were viewing this until after the fact. It does get a little shaky, but you know you have to finish the mission,” she said.
What was your takeaway from working with Kendrick on this?
Now, with the performance behind her, Copeland can confidently say that Kendrick Lamar stands in a league of his own.
“He is not even comparable [to other artists]. His work ethic is [unmatched]. I have never seen someone show up every single day [with] a hungry and humble energy. When the leader or artist is like that, it only resonates, and you have no choice but to follow and want to be that,” she said.
Copeland hopes that the performance resonated with people for reasons beyond the click-bait narrative of rap beef.
“Look at the art, look at the creativity. Art and creativity are bigger than anything. I just wanted and hoped that people took away that this is what artistry looks like. Our culture was represented well.”
As the performance continues to trend online, what’s next for you?
The “K. Dot Angels” hashtag has racked up over 95 million posts and counting, with the excitement growing as their individual social media accounts were discovered, putting names to the dancers’ faces.
“I’ve had viral moments, and I’ve been running in this for a minute. But this was just a little different. My TikTok went from 100K to 400K. I surpassed 100K on Instagram. I’ll come back to my phone. It’s 300, 400 mentions. I’m like, ‘Oh, this is happening.’ I faced a lot of challenges, so to see the world gravitate and love on me and it turn out the way it did, I was like, ‘Okay, God, I understand,’” she said.
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Copeland has now had “to be more intentional with every single step I take. I have always been the person to ask, ‘What type of message do I want to convey?’ Now it has challenged me to think ‘How can I convey the message even more? How can you show up for yourself as a woman, a young lady and lead?’”
When it comes to the next generation of dancers, Copeland believes it’s crucial as a rising dancer to find validation within yourself and to have a clear blueprint for your future, even if it takes time to figure it all out.
“If it’s not your season, don’t think that it will never be. Consistently prepare yourself because when the time presents itself, you have to be ready in all magnitudes to take on that job. Never stop creating and be okay with pivoting when the time is not yours yet, because it will be yours,” she said.
