Mariel Perez was practically born dancing. “Dance is literally engraved in me — it comes down from my great grandparents,” she said. “I knew at a young age that I wanted to be a dancer and eventually show people how to dance.”
Mariel spent two years planning and investing in her business before she opened Melaza in April 2024. One big setback came after she secured a location and purchased flooring — but couldn’t ultimately get a permit for occupancy (due to issues that weren’t disclosed before she signed the lease).
Mariel didn’t have bank financing, and she was on her own figuring out what supplies and marketing she needed.
“One of the things I was worried about with my business was technology,” she said. “I'd worked with various studios, but I've never had to actually run my own.”
When Mariel learned about Community-Driven Economic Empowerment in 2023, she discovered resources to support entrepreneurs like her. She was awarded a C-DEE accelerator grant to help purchase essential equipment for her business and joined a community of awardees who received coaching and networking opportunities.
With the funding, she bought professional speakers, microphones, and an audio processor.
“Those are very important for the studio, because without them, I can't teach... I can't show you how to dance to the musicality of the music — if it's a bachata, if it's a salsa, or if it's a merengue, or any other style,” Mariel said.
She can also transport the speakers to community events, like teaching dance at a senior center, or rent them to a family celebrating a Quinceañera or wedding.
Today, she does just that as owner of Melaza Dance Studio in Manchester, N.H., with a mission to “build community through dance and preserve Latino dance, music, and culture.” She offers a variety of classes for dancers of all levels, professional choreography, and dance socials and other events.
“I love what dance can do to people — if you’re sad, if you’re happy, it just changes you,” Mariel said.
But the steps toward starting her own studio weren’t as clear as her favorite Salsa sequence.
Today, her sunlit studio on Hanover Street has a Dominican flag on the wall and a neon sign surrounded by pink and purple flowers. Melaza means molasses in Spanish, which reminds Mariel of her roots in the Dominican Republic and her love of movement.
Molasses — the rich syrup left over from sugar production — symbolizes depth, sweetness, and cultural heritage.
The name was also inspired by one of her favorite artists, Ismael River, who sings the song "Caras Lindas." In the song, Rivera mentions "Melaza" while celebrating the physical beauty and cultural heritage of Afro-Caribbean people which ultimately became the inspiration and stamp for naming the studio Melaza.
And, the business is stable enough that Mariel can think about bigger goals for the future. She dreams of creating a “weekender” event in Manchester that pairs all-day, artist-taught Latino dance classes with evening dance shows and socials, based on what she experienced as a dancer in New York.
“I'm very proud of where I started from to where I am now, and I just have to continue being persistent and being the social butterfly that I am,” she said.
She also informally coaches other female business owners, recommending they seek out resources like C-DEE and believe in their goals.
“The thing that I will tell someone who is in the process of opening a business is to stop doubting themselves,” she said. “You’re the one that has this fire or this urge to pursue and create this idea... trust that instinct and just go for it."