Meet Melody Lacayanga

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Melody Lacayanga. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Melody, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

I get my resilience from my mom. She came to the US from the Philippines in the 70s with practically nothing and was able to not only build a life with my dad for my sisters and me, but was also responsible for bringing in my grandparents, aunts and uncles.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I recently celebrated my 21st year living in Los Angeles! I came here to pursue my passion for dance and performing with one of my best friends and together we braved Hollywood for those first couple of years. In 2005 I was a finalist on Season 1 of So You Think You Can Dance. I was the runner-up and top female dancer. That was pretty huge at the time and was the beginning of a shift in our dance industry, where we were typically in the background. Myspace was the social network of choice, yet our ability to access anything and everything was still pretty limited. Being on that show was especially big for me, being Filipino American, where performance art was hardly accepted as a career choice. Fortunately, I had the most supportive parents, and though they probably thought I would come back home to the Bay Area after a year or two to try to be a nurse, I know they were so proud and relieved that I could make a career out of my passion. Who knew that my stint on tv would lead to many opportunities, and this “little hobby” of mine, to this day, would award me a nice living? I am endlessly proud and grateful.

Throughout the years I’ve danced on other television shows, live commercials, stage shows, and toured with Miley Cyrus’ Gypsy Heart Tour. I did some print modeling for streetwear and dance clothing lines and was even a cover model for a dance magazine. I’m also a brand ambassador with Fabletics Activewear. I’ve been a part of numerous touring dance conventions, as a teacher, which has truly been my main focus for quite some time. I’m currently in my third year with Adrenaline Dance Convention, celebrating its 22nd season. One of the best things about my job is that I get to spend weekends with my mentor, Chris Jacobsen. Many of the other faculty members have become some of my very best friends and I’ve shared many connections with some as well, as we basically grew up and learned the industry here together in LA. Full circle best describes what this job means to me.

Being a dance teacher to mostly children ages 5-18, I try to make dances and combinations the way loved to do them when I was their age. I like to think I’m fun and try to keep classes lighthearted. Some may say my classes are physically challenging, and I would agree, but I also try to encourage the kids to cheer and be supportive of each other, again, the same way I loved taking classes as a kid and even now as an adult. Which brings me to another passion of mine: fitness and yoga.

I have been on the Creative Team with the world renowned fitness company, Piloxing, since 2019. I was the “Barre” girl, creating routines and sequences for their barre pro9ram, but have expanded within their other programs from theMIX, dance based, to Booty and SSP, all of which integrate Pilates and Boxing. I love it because even though it’s different from my regular jobs, there are things I take from it that I feel have helped me to improve and be more mindful of my body and words. On top of that, I’m a yoga sculpt aficionado at Core Power Yoga where you can find me four times a week getting my sweat on. As much as I love being a teacher, I also love being a student.

These last three and a half years I’ve gone through a ton of life changes. While I’m still doing all the things I love, I’ve also had the itch to venture out and try new things. I have always wanted to host a show, start a podcast, or maybe even the unthinkable: have a job in entertainment that doesn’t involve weekly travel. For most of my LA life, I felt stuck in a situation where I was on autopilot, and I accepted treatment that I simply did not deserve. But working and traveling was my happy place, as that was my escape from reality. I also aspire to find a platform where I can share those experiences and hopefully help someone along the way. I can happily say the changes I’ve made have lead me in a more positive direction, allowing me to gain confidence to go after more things I feel I’m worthy of. We’ll see what’s next! Until then, you can view some of my work on my Instagram: melodylac, or catch me on tour with Adrenaline !

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I think one of the most important things, in any industry, is to keep growing. Keep researching, keep learning, be a student when you can. Life is ever evolving, so we owe it to ourselves to expand our knowledge in our craft. Find little challenges every now and then, and don’t be afraid to make even the smallest change to keep you on your toes. Be okay with not always winning. The more you know, the more comfortable and confident you’ll be to take the next step, whatever that may be. With that said, another important quality, which I’m still learning myself, is that it’s okay to ask for help. You don’t have to do everything alone, and it certainly does not discredit any of the work you’ve done just because you needed a hand. I genuinely enjoy helping others, and I find it to be true of others more often than not. It never hurts to ask, even when the answer is no.

On a more technical level, I also find that being a team player counts for so much when you are art of a group. That sounds simple, but in reality a team has a common goal. That doesn’t mean to always say yes and agree to things every time, but there is an unselfishness that is necessary when working with many opinions and personalities. Being able to understand decisions that are going to benefit the team or the goal, as opposed to the individual, will allow for more growth and quicker solutions. I don’t do well with conflict and, culturally, communication was not really a thing, so growing up I rarely let my voice be heard in fear of offending someone or sounding stupid. But I’ve learned that sharing my opinion in a respectful way, even if it’s rejected, still actively keeps me a team player because you never know if your idea mixed with another can be a solution, even if it sounds ridiculous in your head. I’m going to be super cliché and say “there’s no ‘I’ in ‘team'”, because it’s absolutely true. Each individual makes up part of the group, and I’ve had many experiences where things don’t quite work out when then scale is so heavily tipped in one direction. It’s an amazing feeling to know your team is about everyone, not just one or two individuals.

Asking for help may have been the third thing, but I feel I need to also include one more, and that’s to stop comparing yourself to others. Again, something I’m still learning too, but for years that hindered me and the many paths I wished I had taken. Comparison to others and comparison to your past self… more things preventing the journey forward. We are all beautiful and unique in every version of ourselves.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I think with my goals to venture out, collaborating with a group or individual would help me to get my feet wet. I would love and am open to working with people who may have podcasts, where I can possibly share my personal story, discuss fitness, dance, or mental health, etc. I would also love to try my hand at producing and hosting either my own show or podcast, so any connections in those areas would be ideal. And of course with my years of experience in the dance industry, I am always open to collaborating on projects, as well as putting my work in onstage shows and on camera. With my emphasis on being a good team player, I find that I thrive in most group or collaborative settings, and I love learning new things. You can connect with me on Instagram @melodylac!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: melodylac
• Facebook: melody.lacayanga.7
• Twitter: melodyLAC

Image Credits

@thefieldgallery, @adrenalinedanceinc, @piloxing