Dance Mogul Exclusive Interview…
Dance Mogul: When did you develop a love for dance?
Isabelle Merlo: I knew I was meant to be a dancer when my mom took me to see my very first dance show. I used to jump back and forth between potential careers and what I wanted to do with my life, but after the show, nothing else shook my conviction that I was meant to become a professional dancer. The rush of mixed emotions and the uneasy yet inspiring feeling I felt after watching the performance made me want to learn how to make other people feel the same way. In a way, I didn’t start to dance for myself but for everyone else. I wanted to change lives through dance the same way it changed mine. I guess that’s how I fell in love with the idea of dance, but every day of my journey after that epiphany, I fall deeper in love with it and all its different dimensions.
Dance Mogul: Who were some of your inspirations?
Isabelle Merlo: My mom was always my rock through tumultuous times in my artistic and personal development. The story of how she became a legend in the Montreal dance scene is admirable, to say the least, but the person she has become and the mother she’s been to me beyond the success she achieved in her dance career is equally inspiring. She has continuously encouraged me to persevere, believed in me since day one, and supported me in all my crazy dreams; as far as Berlin and as prodigious as New York City.
Dance Mogul: How did you develop a work ethic to be progressive and successful?
Isabelle Merlo: My work ethic definitely comes from the discipline I was instilled with as a child by going to music school and competing in gymnastics. My parents were always very tunnel-minded when it came to success, so I kind of grew up afraid of becoming a disappointment by hearing them constantly praise high achievements. They raised me to face challenges and embrace my power. Though my parents made me fear failure, they also knew, by being high achievers themselves, that it was a part of success, and whenever it happened, to get back up and try again. That is the only way to grow into becoming excellent and how I learned to live my life and exploit my potential to its fullest.
Dance Mogul: Did you have family support?
Isabelle Merlo: Absolutely and always. No one person can provide everything for you—even parents with the purest intentions lack in certain realms of parenting—but if it wasn’t them helping me through something, it was another family member or dear friend. I have always been surrounded by people who unconditionally cared for me. I really wouldn’t be where I am today without them. It truly takes a village.
Dance Mogul: When did you realize you could be a professional?
Isabelle Merlo: Wow, what a good question. I guess it would have to be when I was 19 and training at a ballet school in Montreal. Our cohort was going to engage in an exchange program with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s dance division, and one of their resident choreographers created a piece for us before their students arrived. At the school, I was the black sheep in the herd; teachers and peers recognized my talent but didn’t understand it because I never quite danced like the others. When the choreographer came in to make the piece, she cast me as the lead. “I” was the piece, and everyone else supported my performance dancing in the back of the stage. When the process was over, we performed the work in Montreal and toured with it in Glasgow, Scotland. I knew after that I could eventually make it as a professional dancer, but ultimately meant to get there as a soloist.
Dance Mogul: What have been some of your most memorable dance moments?
Isabelle Merlo: My very first burlesque performance in New York City is definitely one of them. I remember how nervous I was—it really felt like that performance was holding the weight of something great in the balance. I had never performed burlesque before that show, but somehow I knew how important it was for me to make an impression. When I got my chance to get my first job as a burlesque performer, I didn’t take it for granted. For me, it was more than just an experiment; the moment I stepped onto that stage and felt the energetic feedback that the audience was feeding my performance, I knew I had found my niche.
Dance Mogul: How did you survive the pandemic and overall day-to-day of 2020?
Isabelle Merlo: Every day in 2020 was a battle. I lost many things—loved ones, opportunities, time, chances to expand my network and make a name for myself in the dance market—but I never lost one thing: hope. I knew one day things were going to go back to how they were and all this fresh, innovative build-up of inspiration was going to be able to be shared. I was not fulfilled with the life I had even before Covid hit and always kind of knew deep down that I wanted more than Montreal. Ultimately, the confinement made me realize that when things reopened, it’d be time to finally do something about it and chase after bigger dreams.
Dance Mogul: How has 2020 affected your artistic decisions and progress?
Isabelle Merlo: In 2020, I got extremely depressed but never lost touch with the vivid mental image of my dreams. Left alone in the studio, I was liberated from comparison, doubt, and envy. Working solely with myself and for myself enabled me to release urges to conform on the outside and cultivate authentic expression, technique, and originality from the inside free of any external influences or pressure. Instead of trying to fit in the box, I wanted to be better than the box and thrive as my own brand.
Dance Mogul: What would you like your legacy with dance to look like 20 years from now?
Isabelle Merlo: Twenty years from now, I will be 45 years old. I hope to have a successful career already behind me, but that I am still performing and creating just as much while I still can. I hope AprilMay Productions becomes a recognized brand and that my name is known throughout the industry. Eventually, I want to sing and dance my acts and possibly hire backup dancers and assistants to support my performances. AprilMay Productions has promising prospects, and I believe 20 years is enough time to watch it shine.
Dance Mogul: Is there anyone you’d like to thank for helping you on your journey?
Isabelle Merlo: I am a firm believer that no artist makes it entirely on their own, and it truly takes a village to bring about someone to achieve and maintain a career as a performer, especially in a city as unpredictable, unforgiving, and expensive as New York City. With that said, I’d like to thank my parents for sticking by me in my transition into full independence; my brother, for always picking up the phone and being there for me when I call; my grandmother, for always reminding me to talk kindly to myself and of how strong I am; and my friends, for inspiring me to stay myself all the while striving for excellence. They are my village, and I love them all.
