Conversations with Marissa Milele

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marissa Milele.

Hi Marissa, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always known I wanted to be in the entertainment industry of some kind from a very young age. When I was just four years old, my parents put me in gymnastics and dance. I trained for many years in all genres of dance, power tumbling, and trampoline. I didn’t only want to do those activities; my passion was to sing, so by the time I was 12 years old, I was in a Christian singing group called “The Rubyz,” where we traveled the United States on tour. We produced an album and were featured on Radio Disney. By the time I was fifteen, I had signed a performance deal with Sean Garrett as a solo singing artist. Each experience with singing was amazing and taught me so much, but I felt I couldn’t be who I wanted to be, and it became hard to train in all the areas of activities I wanted to pursue. I trained competitively in power tumbling, trampoline, and all dance genres throughout my youth and young adult years. When I turned eighteen, I auditioned for the hit TV show, season ten, “So You Think You Can Dance,” and made the top twenty-six, came back for season eleven and made top thirty-eight, then came back one more time for season twelve and landed in the top five girls on Travis Wall’s “Team Stage” and made it on the show. After the show, I was invited to tour a seventy city tour with “So You Think You Can Dance.”

Immediately off the tour, I moved to Los Angeles to continue training and pursue a dance career. After six months living in LA, I booked a Vegas residency with Ricky Martin, called “ALL IN.” At twenty years old. Also, hired on a dance convention called Revel as a faculty member. I’ll be going into my sixth season with Revel this year, where I teach hundreds of dancers in cities all over the United States.

In the same time frame, I decided to open a dance studio with my brother, Justin Milele, right here in Nashville, Tennessee. Keep in mind, I was living in LA, on a Vegas residency, teaching at Revel Dance Convention, and opening a dance studio. I was trying to accomplish all my goals and bucket list items in a short few years; I managed to fit in performing for a professional NFL cheer team for a season, and currently, the exclusive choreographer for the NFL cheer team, Tennessee Titans Cheer.

Throughout my last five years as a professional dancer, I’ve danced in the CMA Country Christmas, CMT, CMA awards, danced for Demi Lovato in Good Morning America, VMA’s, and Billboard events. I’ve danced on The Voice with Charlie Puth and danced for such artists as Kanye West, Dan * Shay, Cam Country, Kenney Chesney, Demi Lovato, Caanan Cox, Jerrod Neimann, Alex Aiona, Janelle Monae, and Jennifer Nettles. I’ve been in a couple of movies and shows such as the hit TV show “Nashville,” Netflix “Insatiables, Alvin and the Chipmunks 4, and the new Disney Marvel show.

I’m currently booking professional dance jobs and have a passion for choreographing for the Tennessee Titans and my dancers at Milele Academy. I’ve recently choreographed for music artists such as Dolly Parton, Caanan Cox, Young Buck and Cam Country.

In the middle of all my blessings, I have a three-year-old little boy name Linken Grey. I’m a single mom, but I encourage myself to have no excuses to accomplish being a great mother and having my hands in many different passions. My goal is to be a world-renowned choreographer and inspire women to push through life circumstances to fuel their dreams.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I dated my first love and high school sweetheart for over eight years off and on. We had a precious little boy who is a blessing to me, but I never expected to be a single mom. I had some emotional ups and downs during the breakup but stayed strong and passionate about my job. Here I was at the height of my career when I found out I was expecting a little boy. I confirmed when my son was two months old that we would not be together. I feel I have to work even harder to balance my career, and it doesn’t leave me much time for myself but I know it will all be worth it.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I choreograph for over 15 studios across the United States. I go in and set competition pieces each season. I set nine routines for the Tennessee Titans Cheerleaders as their exclusive choreographer. I’m also moving into choreographing for music artists and have a great passion for creative directing one day.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I hope my story will encourage single moms and young dancers that hard work pays off and to keep pushing to get what you want in life. I want to inspire people to have a mindset that anything is possible. I’m truly grateful for the people that support me and are my biggest cheerleaders. My parents help me tremendously and I would not be where I’m at today without their continuous support.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: mileleacademy.com
• Instagram: @marissa_milele
• Facebook: Marissa Milele
• Twitter: @marissa_milele
• Other: @mileleacademy