We were lucky to catch up with Melat Ghirmay recently and have shared our conversation below.

Melat, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

In the eldest daughter of 4 siblings all togheter. I’m #3 out of 4, first gen immigrant kids. I was born into dance due to the nature of my culture where dancing is a big part of celebration, as I am of Eritrean heritage. Dance found me very early and became a safe space quickly and I already knew I wanted to pursue this as a career. But I knew I’d have to fight a lot due to societal and cultural norms and barriers. Also, growing up in a non creative country, Norway, also was a fight in itself. My career professionally started around 12 years old, but I was already known in my local areas. So I knew early that I have to position myself to be able to do this at a high level. One day I took a class from an international instructor names Shirlene Quigley and she awarded me with a scholarship to NYC. I was shocked because I never knew how that opportunity would come to me. But I knew that everything would change. Now I have my ticket but what will my parents say. In my last year in collage I auditioned to get into the program and I came in. But trying to make this make sense to my parents was one of the most rebellious things ever. Especially when I was a very academic kid naturally, so they already had high academic expectations of me. And what my life was supposed to be

Melat, 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?

Well I’m a dancer at heart but I am a visionary for sure. I see the whole vision and physical experience to make people feel something. That’s my goal to create a career of authentic art through live performances and video. Understanding how to align and make music come to live. That what I’m pursuing in NYC.

I see myself tell stories through television, dance, choreography and creative direction. I yearn for making people feel something. Hence why I’m such a nerd because I care about the details and intention and how the audience members senses gets activated

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Eliminate fear early.
In the US there is a difference tenacity that exists. I’d say I’m a very fearless person but the intensity changed once I moved to NYC and saw how people move.
How the city moves, people, money, power and the ecosystem of everything.
And the quicker I align myself the clearer I can see myself grow

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I’m orthodox Christian.
So to me it will be to really get in the word. Because a lot of self-improvement books are using the same systems God have the people in the Old Testament to flourish in this life.
Pray, stay humble, have clean heart. And TIDE. Give as much as you can to others

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @itsmelatghirmay
• Other: TikTok: @melatghirmay

Image Credits

Photographer :
GEO MANTILLA,

Ramona Thianto

&

Natnael A