Meet Isabelle Merlo

We recently connected with Isabelle Merlo and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Isabelle , thank you so much for joining us today. There are so many topics we could discuss, but perhaps one of the most relevant is empathy because it’s at the core of great leadership and so we’d love to hear about how you developed your empathy?

When I was a little girl, I was quirky and had difficulty making friends. This imposter syndrome that came from a real place of being excluded and made fun of when I was young, lingered into my early adulthood until I decided it wouldn’t define me anymore. I guess, even in my young adult years, I sometimes feel like that little kid again who yearns to be accepted and understood, but doesn’t know how to mold herself into the ‘normal box’ everyone else seems to fit into. Knowing this feeling all too well, almost like second nature, is what enabled me to become the empathetic person I am today. I have been told to be an easy person to be vulnerable with and talk to and have this unique ability to be able to have meaningful conversations with kids just as well as elderly folks. I know how it feels to wonder why others don’t understand you, yet still not fully understanding yourself. The shame and torment of this endless questioning is what motivated me to find my truth and create a ‘box’ for myself in the world, because I couldn’t fit in anywhere else. My empathy was born in an ongoing investigation of my own light despite the power of its shadows and the forgiveness I had to harvest in myself to heal from being treated like I was ‘abnormal’. It is for those reasons that I understand everyone is insecure about certain traits of their identities and that it is important for the perpetuity of goodness in the world to give second chances.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

After I moved back to New York, I aspired to become my own brand : AprilMay Productions. AprilMay Productions is meant to be a brand that represents my burlesque repertory and all the artistic disciplines I incorporate in it. I play with seduction, tease, comedy and bring conceptual fantasies to life. My training as a dancer allows so much more physical accessibility and technique when I perform, which is what I believe makes 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. If I don’t fit in the ‘box’, I want to be better than the ‘box’. I am a musician, dancer, singer, costume designer and choreographer; an artist with a unique mix of talents that I think ultimately reinforce the power and definition of my performances. Besides wanting to grow a business in burlesque and cabaret entertainment, I also maintain and continuously elevate my dance training in order to grow my chances of eventually working on Broadway and in concert dance companies as a full-time job. My brand will always be my own and available for me when I need it, but I am not opposed to continuing to audition for masterful dance jobs while my body can still push itself to its healthy physical limits. Underneath all these new aspirations for my burlesque career, I still have not given up on my dream of becoming a professional dancer.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I could list you plenty of qualities and skills that have played a part in where I stand today, but the truth is I believe in a much more foundational discipline that supports the development of aspirations for general success : commitment. In order for anything to grow in your life, you have to commit to yourself and your dreams as long as it takes for something to sprout. You could have all the talent, great ideas and drive in the world but if you’re not consistently putting in the work and moving forward in your journey, you’ll never truly progress in how you wish your life to unfold. The first thing you need to do to be ready to commit to anything is staying curious about everything. When I was young, my parents made me try various hobbies, sports and activities until I settled on a favorite and stuck to it for a while. It taught me discipline, perseverance and that honest awards and achievements are earned from steady hard work. Even if you aren’t a child and are still looking to find your purpose, I’d say be open-minded and objective about your choices until you find something you can’t live without. Once you’ve found a passion that makes you feel most alive, then commit to building your whole life around it and I promise if you stick with it long enough something is bound to come of it. Reach for the moon and end up in the stars; once you are committed to a passion, your reality is manifested through absolute authenticity. Even if you originally hoped to become or create one thing that doesn’t concretize, your intention will always take you to where you truly belong.

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?

This year, I graduated in New York, moved to Germany, and moved back to New York in less than 10 months. It’s been an eventful year to say the least, and among the countless changes of heart I’ve had, one epiphany resonated with me more than the others: I know what kind of dancer I want to be. I always kind of knew I had star power and that my struggle to ‘fit in’ and dance like the others was a hint at my distinctiveness as a performer but never really believed in it. Now I finally do, and am letting its power completely break loose. Coming back to New York after sacrificing so much to move to Berlin meant that I could’ve had everything to lose, or nothing to lose at all. Because of how much I believe in my own potential now after feeling inhibited and lost in what kind of artist I wanted to be for too long, I chose to see it as I don’t have anything to lose, and everything to gain. Everything was lost the day I said goodbye to New York after graduating and now I realize that it was the best thing that could have ever happened to me because by coming back, it was a license to completely start over. Not only did I come back with a purpose, I came back with a vengeance. Now that I know exactly what I’m believing in within myself, I can work on developing ways for people to see it too and be so good they couldn’t possibly ignore me anymore.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.aprilmayproductions.info/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bellemerl/

Image Credits

Giovanni Trinchese
Natalia Sanchez
René Killus