By Jana F. Brown

To Ella Melideo ’26, dance is logical. Therefore, it makes perfect sense that logic factors into how she envisions a new creation. The senior BFA candidate at USC Kaufman explains that she thinks of choreography as a series of patterns, puzzles, and mathematical equations.

“I like for my choreography to make sense,” Melideo says, “so if this goes here, then that goes there.”

While she’s just getting started, Melideo is already gaining notice for her innovative work. In November, she and co-choreographer Madison Lucas were awarded the $3,000 Grand Prize at the 28th Annual Palm Desert Choreography Festival, held at the McCallum Theatre. Their six-minute work, “Thread Lightly” topped eight other finalists performing original choreographies “from emerging companies, colleges, and studios.” The piece was originally created for four dancers, but a last-minute change forced Melideo and Lucas to turn their work into an intricate duo, which they performed together.

The piece is a perfect example of Melideo’s style as an emerging choreographer, drawing from multiple dance genres, incorporating elements of tutting, contemporary, and Hip Hop. Of note is how Melideo processes movement; she describes feeling like she doesn’t have a choice in where actions lead her. “The way my brain is wired,” she explains, “it sees choreography in a very specific way.”

Melideo’s work tends to incorporate deeper meaning. “Thread Lightly” explores social conformity through abstract movement, starting and ending with pat-a-cake patterns to represent “the daily life you think you should be living” and evolving into “an exploration of the curiosity to live outside of what you’re told you should be doing.”

A key element of the piece’s choreography is “threading,” which challenges dancers to find open pathways and entangle limbs in a complex — yet seamless — pattern of movement. “Thread Lightly” was first performed at Congress, a salon-style community dance platform in Los Angeles, hosted by creatives Zak Ryan Schlegel and Denna Thomsen.The piece received positive feedback from industry professionals, including choreographer Ryan Heffington, who was in the audience.

Melideo is no stranger to the spotlight. A native of Los Angeles, she started dancing at three and working professionally at 11. Early highlights included appearances in dance videos for Chris Brown, Mariah Carey, and Sia, along with projects for Nickelodeon, Disney, and Netflix. For Nickelodeon, Melideo was a regular member of the dance crew on “Lip Sync Battle Shorties.” Her interest in choreography emerged in her mid-teens, and as a high school student, Melideo created a series of mini dance films on shoestring budgets and knew she might one day enjoy combining dance with film on a larger scale.

Despite her early success, combined with a love of (and eye for) dance, she had initial doubts about continuing her artistic pursuits in college. Melideo applied to almost every one of her college choices as an international relations major, with plans to study Mandarin and become a diplomat.

“But I made a deal with myself,” she recalls. “If got into Kaufman, I would pursue dance because it was the only school where I could see myself doing that. When I was accepted, I was super happy because I was like, ‘Oh, I actually get to pursue my dreams.’”

In addition to its location in the center of the entertainment world, Melideo chose Kaufman for its strong dance reputation, along with access to USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and Thornton School of Music. The convergence of those creative disciplines already has proven beneficial. Through the USC Choreographers and Composers program, a semester-long workshop for Kaufman and Thornton students, Melideo met graduate student Gabriel Jon Griswold, a composer who now creates original music for most of her work. In fact, Griswold wrote an entire score in one day when “Thread Lightly” shifted from four to two dancers.

“I didn’t even know I liked choreographing with composers until I tried it” Melideo says, “and now I do it all the time.”

The student body at Kaufman also has been critical for Melideo’s larger projects. As a junior, she choreographed “Baraye,” a six-minute film supporting women in Iran, produced by Sarah Fan ’26, a student at USC’s Iovine and Young Academy. The piece incorporated three minutes of dance, based on a song written from the tweets of Iranian women. While still a junior, Melideo also made a music-video-style short film involving 30 Kauffman dancers. This past fall, she directed, produced, edited, and choreographed a Black Friday ad for the bedding and lifestyle brand Hommey, featuring 40 Kaufman dancers.

“Having access to these dancers has been incredible because they’re so talented and hardworking,” Melideo says. “It’s nice to be in a space where everyone’s so eager to create.”

Trey Gordon ’29 worked with Melideo on the Hommey ad, noting her skill at creating seamless transitions through her choreography. Gordon also points to Melideo’s ability to play with weight transfers, and the way she layers movements to make the choreography feel more alive and connected. He praises her innovation in the ways she both fills and creates space.

“You can see every detail, as the clarity of her movement is so thoughtfully considered,” Gordon says. “It’s clear that every action is intentional, with nothing thrown away or left behind. Through her use of negative space, Ella creates strong structural angles and shapes, finding unexpected pockets to weave in and out of. In doing so, she constantly challenges what we think is possible.” Beyond her artistry, Gordon adds, Melideo is exceptionally kind, someone who “brings a light of joy” to every room.

In addition to her peers, Melideo expresses gratitude for her professors, including Associate Professors of Practice d. Sabela grimes and Jackie Kopcsak. Grimes has been instrumental in Melideo’s mastery of threading, while Kopcsak serves as an advisor for her senior research project. She credits Kaufman faculty for helping her reshape her artistic approach.

“I’ve shifted the way I choreograph significantly since coming here,” Melideo explains. “They broke down that construct and encouraged me to do what felt authentic.”

Currently pursuing a BFA in dance through Kaufman’s Progressive Degree Program while simultaneously earning a master’s in entrepreneurship and innovation, Melideo is looking toward the future. She plans to continue dancing while building her choreography résumé. She considers herself a hybrid artist, eager to create across multiple styles and mediums, embracing whatever breaks come her way, with an ultimate eye toward film.

“My goal is to continue to choreograph in any realm where I’m given the opportunity,” Melideo says. “I really love choreographing in every way.”