148- Melissa Becraft: Brooklynettes, Blackpink, Disney, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Netflix, Lil Kim, and Hulu

Interview Date: February 15, 2026EPISODE SUMMARYIn this episode of The Business of Dance Podcast, Menina Fortunato sits down with New York City-based dancer and content creator Melissa Becraft to unpack the persistence, creativity, and unexpected opportunities behind her career. Melissa shares how she started dancing at 12, moved from South Carolina to New York City at 18, and spent four years auditioning while booking only one professional dance job before finally landing a spot with the NBA Brooklynettes. That opportunity became a major turning point, leading to six seasons with the team, including four as captain.When the pandemic paused live performances, Melissa turned to social media as a creative outlet. What began as a TikTok account with zero followers quickly exploded, reaching 950,000 followers in eight months. She shares how recreating movie scenes, music videos, characters, and decades helped her build a recognizable creative identity and eventually turn dance content into a viable business through brand partnerships. She also gets candid about influencer rates, from early $500 videos to a $35,000 short-form campaign, while comparing the earning potential of content creation to traditional professional dance jobs.Throughout the episode and mentee Q&A, Melissa offers practical advice on confidence, versatility, performance quality, audition preparation, social media safety, time management, and overcoming comparison. Her story is a reminder that success rarely happens overnight—and that dancers do not have to be the “best” person in the room to build a thriving career.SHOW NOTES02:47 – Melissa’s dance journey from South Carolina03:28 – Moving to New York at eighteen04:40 – Four years of auditions and rejection06:20 – Auditioning for the NBA Brooklynettes07:05 – Six seasons and becoming team captain09:08 – Pandemic sparks Melissa’s social media journey10:48 – Reaching 950,000 followers in eight months13:31 – Turning social media into paid partnerships15:45 – Breaking down influencer income potential18:10 – Performing with BLACKPINK at the VMAs21:07 – Q&A: Building confidence and overcoming comparison24:32 – Q&A: Why tricks don’t define dancers29:22 – Q&A: Creating safe, professional dance content33:26 – Q&A: Performance quality that books jobs39:08 – Turning your dancing into a businessABOUT MELISSAMelissa Becraft is a dancer and content creator based in New York City. She began her career with the NBA Brooklynettes, later becoming captain and choreographer. Her credits include the VMAs with BLACKPINK, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. She has built an audience of more than 3.5 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube and created dance content for Disney, Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and Kate Spade.CONNECT WITH MELISSAInstagram — @melissabecraft