Today we’d like to introduce you to Ferly Prado.
Hi Ferly, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Brazil. I started dancing at the age of 3 at my mother’s dance academy. I was never forced to dance, but my 2 older sisters did it so I did it, too. I wanted to be a business person like my dad, who at the time was the president of Johnson & Johnson.
When I was 11, my middle sister, Fernanda, moved to the United States alone to attend a Russian Ballet Boarding school called The Kirov Academy, in Washington, D.C. I missed her terribly and worked really hard in ballet that year, in the hopes of joining her a year later. I auditioned and made it in, but my experience there was quite awful. Though I learned a lot about ballet technique and improved tremendously as a dancer, I was dying inside. I was picked on by the director who would go out of her way to constantly tell me I would not make it as a dancer.
After being diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa, my parents flew to the U.S. and were finally able to see their daughters’ realities for themselves. They immediately moved us to Orlando, Florida, per my ballet teacher’s recommendation. We studied at the Southern Ballet Theatre (now, Orlando Ballet), which at the time was directed by Fernando Bujones. Mr. Bujones was an incredible dancer with impeccable technique and a deep love for dance. Coming from a rigid Russian training, I was not aware you could be technically great and still have a soul. That was the beginning of me falling in love with dance. I then trained at the Debbie Allen dance Academy in Los Angeles with some incredible Master teachers, and began auditioning as a professional dancer when I was 17.
As a professional dancer, I have worked for artists like Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Tina Turner, Cher, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Timberlake, Chayanne, Katy Perry, Mariah Carey, and more. I have worked on many award shows, tv shows, and film. It has been quite the ride. Extremely hard, but extremely worth it.
I ended up in SD because I met the love of my life, Jeff Mason. We married in February 2017 and I have relocated my life to San Diego since. I still work out of LA a lot but I wanted to build my life in San Diego both personally and professionally. That year I started my company Team 3XT with Alex Kaye, another professional dancer.
Team 3XT used to be a small account on IG called @OnTheRoadWorkouts since our goal was to share workouts we would do while on the road. It was our simple and humble way of inspiring our communities to move with us. Then we noticed people really wanted to learn dance from us, so 3XT went from fitness only to dance fitness.
Fast forward to today and we have a dance company in LA and SD made up of non-professional dancers who love to dance and be challenged. That has always been the goal- to inspire people to move and transform their lives. Hence our pillars: Train, Transform, Triumph. We also have an online studio, Studio3XT, where we share exclusive classes and programs. We take a lot of pride with what we share in it.
Dance is transformative and the 3XT program sows how dance welcomes everyone and is ready to benefit anyone who dives in. We want to offer a program that is exciting as it is authentic and transformative as it is inclusive. We accept all levels and walks of life. We are a team held together by true sisterhood.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been a smooth road.
First, I am not from the U.S., so learning the culture and way of life in the U.S. was a huge challenge for me. I also has to navigate immigration and visas while trying to build a career as a professional dancer. Los Angeles showed me fast that it isn’t always about the talent, Things like height, ethnicity, look, relationships, all play a part in the opportunities you are offered. One thing that has been an obstacle for me is my height. The fact that I am 5’10” does not serve me. Most artists are shorter than me, and that, unfortunately, can keep me from a lot of opportunities.
As an entrepreneur, navigating an industry that is so saturated has also been challenging. Our message with 3XT is familiar enough, but also drastically different from the norm in dance and in fitness. So it takes time for people to understand this new way of thinking and moving. Patience and steadiness had to steer the boat for a long time. Now I believe our community understands us and our brand, and they are on board! Lives are being changed, so it has been equally rewarding.
And 2020 was a challenge for us, like for many businesses. We had to change our way of dong business. In fact, we were made aware that a lot of people in our immediate audience were laid off. We showed up in 2020 like we had never shown up before. We charged for NOTHING! Though that was extremely hard to sustain and almost led us to calling it quits, it ended up opening the door for us to start our dance company, which we did on January of 2021. We went from 22 members to now 42, and going strong. These women have wonderful 9-5 careers and live their dreams and challenge themselves at night with us. It has been the ride we have been building and we finally get to be on it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am known for my dancing, my resumé, and my reputation as a professional dancer. I have a big following in Brazil, Los Angeles, and now in San Diego. I am also known for my teaching abilities. My mother has always been my mentor, among a handful of other great Master Teachers who really made an impression on me on what great teaching looks like and sounds like. I take teaching very seriously, as I realize teachers have the opportunity to change people’s worlds.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I enjoy a small circle. A few people of influence, in my opinion, are worth more than a big group that just makes you feel good about yourself. And a good circle always leads to another great circle. I have met great people through other great people. I like being around people who challenge me, feed me, and call me out when I am not living in my purpose. I look for friends who know more than me and do more than I do. Living in my purpose is huge for me. There’s too much to learn and not a lot of time to waste. My advice to finding a mentor is to be open in meeting people. You never know when you will have that one conversation that will change your life. You will not find your mentor from behind a screen, at least I don’t think so.
Attend events led by people who inspire you, and you might just meet your person there since you are likely to be like-minded or simply telling those you respect that you are looking for a mentor figure in your life. I met the person who I call my mentor at church, it wasn’t through the industry. He’s an actor, so he’s in the entertainment industry, too, which is a coincidence. Be open and talk!
Pricing:
- Studio3XT Monthly Membership- $20/month
- Studio3XT Year Membership- $99.99/year
- 3XT Dance Company- $700/quarter
- 3XT Dance Company $2,500/year
Contact Info:
- Email: info@team3xt.com
- Website: team3xt.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/ferlyprado
- Other: Studio3XT.Team3XT.com
