We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Isabelle Merlo a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Isabelle, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?
The first dollar I earned from my work was during the pandemic. It’s very odd I know, as we can probably all remember it as a time when most of the performing arts scene was frozen. For me, it was the start of an explorative journey into what was at the time my unknown power and determination to create great art; this first gig was what triggered it. During Covid, I had access to studios to work on new creations and workshop my latest ideas. After working with myself for a while I was isolated from any situation where I could compare myself to others and instead felt called to focus on how I would best develop and highlight the unique features of my talents. I choreographed a solo work in the studio and sent footage of it to any opportunity there was out there to perform it. As slim as the chances were of me performing at a live show during the pandemic, I was selected to introduce my new work in an outdoor showcase compiled with different performers that had their own pieces to present as well. It was my first ever independent contract as a professional dancer in my hometown and the first hint that I was meant to thrive as a solo performance artist and shape my career as my own lucrative brand.
Isabelle, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Ever since I went to live in Europe and discovered what burlesque could be, I aspired to elevate my art and become my own brand : AprilMay Productions. AprilMay Productions is meant to represent my burlesque repertory and all the artistic disciplines I incorporate within it. I play with seduction, tease, comedy and bring conceptual fantasies to life, not to mention that through those fantasies is how burlesque allowed me to channel holistic expressions of all my layers of character. Additionally, my training as a dancer has allowed me more physical accessibility and technique when I perform, which is what I believe will make AprilMay Productions all the more enchanting. I called my brand a production because I couldn’t decide on a principal discipline. Of course my acts are mainly dance-based, but there is a lot more in store for AprilMay Productions to reveal next. What sets me apart from other performers is my ability to seamlessly blend different art forms into a well-rounded performance. As a trained dancer, singer, and cellist, I’ve mastered the art of storytelling through multiple mediums and believe my mix of talents reinforce the power and definition of my performances in a unique way. Each act becomes a story, a fantasy that takes my audience on an emotional rollercoaster. I work with a bold and limitless artistic intention to cater to the best kind of audience that appreciates tasteful and refined entertainment.
Besides wanting to grow a business in burlesque and cabaret entertainment, I try to also continuously elevate my dance training in order to maintain my chances of ever potentially working a full-time dance job. My brand will always be my own and available for me when I need it, but I will always remain open-minded if another avenue opens its doors to me along the way, especially if it’s related to my main discipline; dance.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
Learn, unlearn and relearn. I am trying to let go of holding on to the same patterns I’ve followed so far thinking they are the same recipes I need to grow further on in my career. Sure, some lessons seem universal but the relationship you have with them changes over time. Naturally, to keep evolving, unlearning the lessons that got you here will clear your conscience to make way for updated lessons you need to learn to progress into a new state of life. The backstory of this realization is when I started to take dance classes as a professional dancer, when just a few months before that I was still taking class in the eyes of a student. In my first months of moving to New York, my ego balloon quickly popped when I compared myself to the unbelievable talent next to me. It was humbling and made me choose to stay in the back of the room while taking class for a while, at least until I could hold my own dancing besides extremely advanced dancers. I did the work it took to get to my level, so the lesson I have to unlearn now is being shy of attracting the attention of other dancers in the room, especially leaders in the industry. If anything, a dancer in my position should allow themselves to show off in a room where they are one of the most advanced and allow themselves to be recognized, especially if they can confidently say they’ve earned it.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
How consuming creativity can become. On top of everything else we are responsible for in our lives – like the dull, mundane chores and administrative work that come with being an artist – we still carry the weight of inspiration and the pressure of turning it into a reality. It’s extremely draining to nurture ideas and develop them into real things through our medium of expression. It’s always in the back of your conscience, draining your battery even when other duties are being called to attend to. Truth is you never quite stop thinking about what you can produce next, your craft kind of evolves with you and there’s always an urge to create new art that represents it. That’s what most non-artists don’t understand; artists are constantly running low on battery and charging it as they’re using it, but exhausting as it is, it’s most incomparably exhilarating.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.aprilmayproductions.info/
- Instagram: @bellemerl
Image Credits
René Killus
Natalia Sanchez
Giovanni Trinchese