ENTERTAINMENT

Dancing Through Life:

A DYNAMIC DOUBLE-FEATURE!

Two brilliant dancers share their individual journeys - from being on TV to family roots to the obstacles they’ve conquered on their paths to success.

“We’re all going through something, and it’s ok to not feel your best.”

Melody Lacayanga, 38, is a bright and bubbly dancer out of Los Angeles, who, ironically is a self-proclaimed foodie and reminds her loved ones of cake and cookies – not things you’d typically associate with a professional dancer. But Melody is not your typical woman. She first gained a strong foothold in the dance world by competing in the initial season of Fox’s hit show “So You Think You Can Dance” in 2005. But that was only the beginning.

Melody has since worked for Miley Cyrus and choreographer Sonya Tayeh, made appearances on television shows such as “Glee” and the “Ellen DeGeneres Show”, and returned to “So You Think You Can Dance” as an all-star mentor for new competitors. She also teaches and choreographs, often with conventions, specifically with the touring convention, Art of Movement.

Melody’s career path didn’t start out being focused on dance, although it was always something she loved.

“I’m Filipino-American - [My] parents came here to give us better lives. They wanted us to be doctors, lawyers, things that would secure our futures,” she said. Nonetheless, Melody chose to pursue dance. “My parents, I’m sure, were very reluctant about that, but they supported me my whole first year … I was very fortunate.”

When discussing relationships between women and empowering one another, Melody pointed out how easy it is for women, including herself, to avoid sharing our struggles so we don’t feel that we’ve become a burden on others, and this has been especially true during the COVID shutdowns.

“Everyone is going through their own things. But when we allow ourselves to let it out and let it go and talk to the people [we need to], we find that we feel so much better and that we’re not alone.”

She credits many empowering women throughout her life for helping her get where she needed to be. She hopes to inspire others with her own authenticity and the knowledge that “all that’s gold doesn’t always glitter.”

“I’m very simple … not so glitzy and glamourous … I think it’s comforting to others to know that it’s not all about being really cool or really famous. It’s enough to be you and enjoy the things you love no matter what.”

MELODY’S FAVORITE THINGS:

Reality TV show: Top Chef Self-care activity: Yoga or manis and pedis Guilty pleasure song: “Dynamite” by Taio Cruz Movie: A League of Their Own Amusement park ride: Top Gun Board game: Monopoly (especially the electronic version!) Place she’s visited: Palawan, an island in the Philippines Powerful woman: Padma Lakshmi

Comfort Fedoke made her mark on the country in the fourth season of “So You Think You Can Dance”. Spending week after week in the bottom three, she was eliminated not once, but twice. After a unique opportunity to return and replace an injured contestant, she went on to the Top 8.

The energetic and self-assured 33-year-old knows how to fight back to the top. Since the show, Comfort has been dancing with Missy Elliott, performed with LL Cool J and worked with Pharrell. She’s performed at the Super Bowl and at the Global Citizen Vax Live concert in May. She’s also spent her time expanding her skill set and discovering new abilities.

“I’ve been doing a lot of creating and building,” she said. “I’m doing all these different art things and [finding] a home for it all within this project I’m working on.”

In the midst of all this, Comfort took a trip “home” to Nigeria in 2013 after being asked to host their hit dance-based show, “Maltina Dance All”. While there, she reconnected with family, learned about traditional dances from her history, and taught some free classes.

“It was incredible. It was beautiful to see the nature of dance in their eyes,” she said.

Back in the U.S., however, was a different story. Typecasting is a common practice in the industry, and Comfort found herself being pitted against the same girls repeatedly to essentially determine who was “better” or had lighter skin or nicer hair, and there was often only one or two spots on the roster.

“There was so much of that happening that I didn’t like auditioning anymore,” she said. “I was able to overcome it by being so unapologetically myself with anything I did … I had to be consistent in that.”

Despite having to fight her way through auditions, Comfort emphasized how important it is for women to carry one another, to “be an example of something more than society makes you out to be.”

She gets that from her mother. Watching her mother make difficult decisions and navigate herself out of her own

“We [women] all know regardless of what color and what race we are, we’re still fighting against the same thing.”

Emily Cunningham is a freelance magazine writer with a passion for wildlife conservation, civil and societal issues, and artistic pursuits including dance, creative writing, and handmade art.

Photo by Jenna Ross

problematic circumstances showed Comfort exactly what she needed to connect with the women around her.

“My mom helped me see that type of light in other women,” she said. “Anything that you love and want to do … let that grow and blossom into what it needs to. It doesn’t have to be the whole world on your side.”

COMFORT’S FAVORITE THINGS:

Reality TV show: American Ninja Warrior Self-care activity: Deep meditation Childhood book: “Are You There, God? It’s Me Margaret” Amusement park ride: Anything that drops! Animal: Cheetah Place she’s visited: Stonehenge Powerful woman: Debbie Allen