We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Melissa Adao. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Melissa below.
Melissa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?
I find this to be an interesting question because who says being an artist/creative is better than or less than having a regular job. Who defines what a “regular job” is? Or diving deeper, who defines what success is? Growing up as a second generation Filipina I was taught that when we grow up, we should strive to be a doctor/nurse, engineer, lawyer, or teacher. If we achieve any of these positions, we will make a lot of money to buy a house and be financially stable. Fast forward many years, I am 42 years young, have a Bachelors and Masters Degree in Dance, been teaching at the college level for 20 years, not married, have no kids, do not own a home, and live paycheck to paycheck. But I am the happiest I have ever been.
I am blessed to be a working dancer, performer, teacher, choreographer, and pursuing my dream to compete as a Bgirl (breakdancer) at high caliber events around the world. I define success as happiness and living life on my own terms. I consider myself extremely successful because I am happy and live in gratitude every day. I feel blessed to find joy, challenges, healing, and growth through dance. Although I have been dancing for over 20 years, I didn’t start breaking until I was 36 years old. Breaking came into my life at a later age because it was time for me to level up not only as an artist, but as a human being. And the fact that I can still have a lens for embracing growth, humility, and a thirst for knowledge in my craft is a true sign of being a successful creative.
Melissa, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I truly believe that I have an important global message to send – and that is “you are never too old, and it’s never too late to pursue your dreams”.
Since I started my breaking journey at the age of 37, my dream was to qualify and represent at a high level, internationally recognized breaking competition before I turn 50 years old. That dream showed up 5 years later at the age of 42 when I was invited to compete at Red Bull BC One Los Angeles cypher, an event that is considered one of the best breaking competitions in the world.
I started dancing in 1997, so I wasn’t a complete beginner in terms of experience. For almost 25 years, I’ve experienced the most rewarding, and sometimes most unbelievable rollercoaster journey in my professional and personal life. Because of the support that surrounded me, experiencing failure early in my career, and having a genuine and authentic passion to pursue my goals, I can stand here today and continue to do what I love. That resilience prepared me to thrive today. I did not give up, I believed in myself when it felt like no one else did, and I was consistent in my training and hard work. To be quite honest, the physical part of training is the easiest for me; the most challenging thing about being a professional Bgirl in my 40’s is the mental turbulence that goes on in my head. Generational trauma, toxic environments, and self-sabotaging adds heavy weight and makes me second guess if I am on the right track.
I’ve probably experienced the toughest struggles in the last 5-10 years. This involves anxiety, burn out, and financial instability. Most recently, I’ve learned that some of the choices, habits, and characteristics that allowed me to thrive and be successful were equally destructive to my physical and mental health. I have a fear of saying no to people and a constant need to please others. I see a therapist when life gets too heavy and I need to re-ground myself.
I consider myself just like anyone else who loves to dance and is pursuing their dreams. However, I do acknowledge that for whatever shape and form, my journey fuels and inspires others to be a better version of themselves. I document my training journey on social media (Instagram and Facebook). I share what I’m working on, my struggles, my experiences in the dance scene, and what brings me joy. That resonates with people. My demographics are split 50/50 men and women, 25 years and older, and of all walks of life. It’s not just dancers who follow and engage, I think it’s people who want to be inspired. My audience appreciates the authenticity and humanness I share. It allows others to connect and get energized, which is what I love about sharing my journey online.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I started using Facebook in 2009 and Instagram in 2011. I use it to share my dance journey with people who want to experience it with me. I don’t buy followers or use certain tactics to increase my following. I just do me. In 2021, I shared a Valentine’s Day dance video to James Brown that was recorded pretty spontaneously while waiting for dinner to arrive. A month later, Common the rapper posted it on his Instagram feed and my following grew from 5K to almost 25K in a week. I lost some followers since then, but what I appreciate is that most of them stayed and continue to engage with my posts and journey. Engagement is surprisingly high, and comments are very genuine and heartwarming to read. Sometimes I feel that my page can be a source of inspiration for others to keep on keepin on when they feel they’ve hit a roadblock in their path, or if they need to feel some joy.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
I see NTF’s as a great way for artists to build community with like-minded people. It stretches their creativity and it’s a forward way of thinking as we evolve in new technologies and learning about ownership in our craft. But just like anything else that involves money, there is no such thing as a quick and easy buck. One of the best pieces of advice I can offer artists is to charge/get paid your worth, learn how to save, and stick to a budget. That’s financial longevity.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.melissaadao.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bgirlmel
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaAdaoMEL/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissaadao/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/melissaadao
Image Credits
Jae Calanog Andrew Loando Mike Mora Natt Lim