Meet Mari Salarda | Dancer, Teacher, & Choreographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mari Salarda and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mari, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
Don’t be scared to take big risks in your life. You have to be able to take a stand on huge decisions that could change the trajectory of your career. One of the biggest risks I took in my life was deciding to switch my stable nursing career to a not-so-stable dance career.

Growing up in a Filipino family, I was always taught that school was the most important thing to focus on. All my family expected me and my cousins to become nurses or something in the medical field. I don’t blame them for thinking this way because our parents had immigrated from the Philippines to create a better life for their children and nursing was what always worked for them. My parents knew I always loved dance, but they always saw it as a hobby. Never did they think I would switch my career to something so unconventional.

In my second year of college, I decided to take that leap of faith and pursue dance. It wasn’t easy getting my family to understand and there was much back-and-forth. But all those trials and tribulations were so worth it because I decided to go down a path that would fulfill my passion and make me truly happy.

Since then, I’ve had a fruitful career and went on to dance for many artists such as Doja Cat, SZA, Chloe Bailey, Jason Derulo, Nicki Minaj, and more. I’ve traveled the world performing on tours, and danced on
Live TV award shows such as the Grammys and Billboard Music Awards- all because I decided to take that chance on myself.

If what you want is truly aligned with you, then taking big risks can possibly change your life for the better.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As a dancer, what sets me apart from others is my ability to recognize the other important things in life outside of dance. “Dance is life” is true for many, and it’s so easy to get wrapped up in what you’re doing that you forget about what else is more valuable. One of the many challenges I’ve had to overcome was deciding when I choose my relationships or my career. While having a fruitful career does require some sacrifices I ultimately learned that I can’t replace the relationships in my life, and I will always choose my family and those important to me over any job. I want other dancers to know that dance is only part of their identity, but it is not everything that they are.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend was visiting Orange County for a week, I would first take them to Newport Beach. We would have a bottomless mimosas brunch at Woody’s Wharf while chatting it up with other patrons. If we’re lucky, maybe one of them will allow us a ride on their boat that is parked on the dock next to the restaurant and we can take pictures or make Tik Tok videos together. Then we would head over to the beach, which is just a short walk away and spend a sunny day there.

The next day, I would probably take my friend to Disneyland where it is a MUST to ride Space Mountain and Indiana Jones. While we are there, I would make sure we get a reservation at Lamplight Lounge on Paradise Pier for lunch or dinner.

I’d probably end the week with a fun Friday night out in K-Town. We would go to Chi-chi’s to have a couple drinks and food while playing games on their iPads, then spend the rest of the night dancing and bar hopping in K-towns many clubs.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to give the biggest shout out to UnderGround Dance Team. I danced on UG from the ages 12 to 18. It was this team that taught me my basic foundations in dance, how to be a leader, and also solidified the woman I was going to become. They were my home away from home, my support system, and my second family. Although UG as a team is no longer around, I am still friends with everyone I danced with back then to this day. I know that no matter what is going to happen to me, I can always lean on them whenever I need. #ugsonforlife

Instagram: @mari_salarda

Youtube: @marisalarda

Other: TikTok: @mari_salarda

Image Credits
Joseph Santos, Alissa Roseborough