Today we’d like to introduce you to Mika Santo.
Hi Mika, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
When I look back on my career, every opportunity I’ve had can be traced back to one simple decision my grandmother made when I was five years old. She signed me up for my very first dance class, and I’ve now dedicated the past 22 years of my life to dance, now going on my 23rd year.
I began training at a local studio in North Lauderdale before moving to Coral Springs, where I spent my competitive years developing not only as a dancer but as an artist.
After high school, I attended New World School of the Arts and earned my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. My college experience ended during one of the most uncertain times imaginable. I was halfway through my junior year when the COVID-19 pandemic began, and by my senior year I was completing my degree in a hybrid format. It definitely was not the graduation experience I had envisioned, but it reinforced something I already knew. I wasn’t going to let years of training end there. I was determined to build a career in dance no matter what the industry looked like.
After graduating, I immersed myself in teaching and choreographing throughout South Florida. I naturally stepped into roles where I was mentoring young dancers while continuing to discover my own artistic voice. During that time, my choreography began receiving awards and recognition at competitions, which gave me the confidence to continue creating work on a larger scale. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to choreograph for numerous dance studios, schools, and universities while continuing to teach and mentor dancers of all ages.
About a year after graduating, I met my now co-director, Brianna Campbell. We collaborated on our first project together in May of 2022, and by September we founded STYX The Company. What started as a shared vision has grown into a professional nonprofit dance company that is now entering its fifth season. Building STYX has become one of the most fulfilling parts of my career because it has allowed me to create meaningful work while also building a community where dancers can train, perform, and truly feel like they belong.
Alongside directing STYX, I’ve been fortunate to pursue opportunities across both the concert and commercial dance worlds. I’ve presented choreography at Choreographer’s Carnival in California twice, starred in STYX productions including *The Teller* and *The Teller Returns*, performed alongside Anderson .Paak during Benson Boone’s performance, danced with Coldplay during their *Music of the Spheres* tour in Miami, appeared in commercials and music videos with artists including Becky G, Trippie Redd, and Sexyy Red, and continued building my career as both a performer and choreographer.
Looking back, my career has never followed one straight path. I’ve always loved exploring every avenue that dance has to offer, whether that’s performing, choreographing, directing, teaching, or creating opportunities for other artists through STYX. Every experience has shaped the artist and leader I am today, and I feel like I’m still just getting started.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, but I think that’s the reality of pursuing a career in the arts. It’s a field built on uncertainty, and you have to learn how to keep creating even when the path isn’t always clear.
One of the biggest challenges was graduating from college during the COVID-19 pandemic. Like most students, I had envisioned what life after graduation would look like, and suddenly all of those plans disappeared. Instead of stepping into the industry I had prepared for, I had to rebuild my expectations and figure out what a sustainable career in dance could look like in a completely different world.
Not long after that, I found myself co-founding STYX The Company. Starting a nonprofit organization without a blueprint and with no prior experience running a professional dance company came with a huge learning curve. Overnight, I wasn’t just a dancer or choreographer anymore. I became a director, fundraiser, administrator, producer, marketer, teacher, mentor, and just about everything in between. The interesting part is that I’ve been stepping into leadership roles since I was 18 years old, so leading has always come naturally to me. At the same time, leadership comes with a lot of responsibility. When you’re constantly pouring into other people while still trying to grow yourself, burnout becomes very real. Finding ways to refill my own cup while continuing to show up for everyone else has probably been one of the biggest lessons of my career.
I’ve also struggled with imposter syndrome because my career has never fit neatly into one category. I’ve always loved both the concert and commercial sides of dance, but throughout my training I often felt like I had to choose one or the other. I had ballet professors tell me my technique wasn’t strong enough and that I should pursue something else. On the other hand, I was also told my choreography looked too commercial or too influenced by the competitive dance world to be considered concert dance. For a long time, I thought I had to fit someone else’s definition of what an artist should be. Looking back, I don’t think I was missing talent. I think I was missing the space to discover what dance looked like through my own lens instead of someone else’s. That realization ultimately became the foundation of STYX and my own choreographic voice. Instead of choosing between concert and commercial dance, I decided to create a space where both could exist together.
Of course, there are practical challenges too. Choosing a career in the arts often means accepting financial uncertainty while watching friends pursue more traditional careers with steady paychecks, benefits, and retirement plans. There have absolutely been moments where I’ve questioned whether I was making the right decision, but every time I walk into a rehearsal or watch our artists perform, I’m reminded why I chose this path.
One experience that challenged me outside of dance happened in October 2024, when my car was stolen along with my identification, electronics, and many of my personal belongings. It was an incredibly violating experience that forced me to rebuild parts of my life from the ground up. As difficult as it was, it reminded me that my identity isn’t found in the things I own or the titles I carry. It’s found in the work I create, the people I impact, and the resilience I’ve built along the way.
When I look back, every obstacle has helped shape the artist, leader, and person I am today. I don’t think any of it was easy, but I do think all of it was necessary.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At my core, I’m a choreographer, performer, educator, creative director, photographer, and filmmaker. While I wear a lot of different hats, everything I do comes back to storytelling. Whether I’m choreographing for a university, teaching a masterclass, directing a production, performing on stage, capturing a live event through photography and film, or working on a commercial project, my goal is always the same: to create work that people don’t just watch, but genuinely feel.
I think I’m best known for creating movement that bridges the worlds of concert and commercial dance. I’ve never believed those two styles have to exist separately. Some of the most impactful work happens when athleticism, musicality, theatricality, and emotional storytelling all exist in the same piece. That’s the approach I’ve continued to develop throughout my career and one that has become synonymous with my work.
I’m especially drawn to creating work that feels cinematic and immersive. I love building worlds through movement and creating pieces that invite audiences to feel like they’re stepping into a story rather than simply watching choreography. Whether I’m creating for the stage, film, or a live event, I’m always thinking about how movement, music, lighting, visuals, and atmosphere can come together to create something memorable.
Photography and filmmaking have also become a huge part of my creative identity. What started as another artistic outlet has grown into a passion of its own. I love documenting movement, artists, and live experiences through a cinematic lens, and it’s given me another way to tell stories beyond choreography. Being behind the camera has made me a stronger choreographer, and being a choreographer has made me a stronger filmmaker. The two constantly influence one another, and I think that’s what makes my creative process unique.
What I’m most proud of isn’t necessarily one performance or one accomplishment. It’s building a career that’s allowed me to perform, choreograph, teach, direct, and create across multiple artistic disciplines while staying true to my voice. Founding STYX has certainly been a huge part of that journey, but so has choreographing for schools and universities, presenting work at Choreographer’s Carnival, performing professionally, creating commercial work, and documenting artists through film and photography. Those experiences have shown me that success isn’t just about what you accomplish. It’s about continuing to evolve while helping others grow along the way.
If there’s one thing that sets me apart, it’s that I’ve never believed artists have to choose one path. I’ve never wanted to be only a performer, only a choreographer, or only an educator. I’ve embraced being a multidisciplinary artist, and I think that versatility has allowed me to build a career that’s authentic to who I am. Instead of trying to fit into one box, I’ve spent my career creating my own lane, and I hope that encourages other artists to embrace every part of who they are instead of feeling like they have to choose just one version of themselves.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me is making a meaningful impact while living a life that feels full of genuine connection.
As much as I love dance and creating, I’ve learned that my career isn’t the only thing that defines me. My family means everything to me. Some of my favorite moments in life are the simplest ones, just sitting around with them, laughing, sharing a meal, or spending quality time together. Those moments remind me why I work so hard in the first place.
The same goes for my friends. I’m incredibly lucky to have people in my life who inspire me, challenge me, and make me laugh. The memories we’ve created together and the time we spend simply existing with one another have carried me through some of my hardest seasons. They keep me grounded and remind me that there’s so much more to life than constantly chasing the next accomplishment.
My students also hold a really special place in my heart. Watching them grow, gain confidence, and discover who they are as artists is one of the most rewarding parts of what I do. I hope they know that while I’m teaching them, they’re teaching me too. They constantly remind me why I fell in love with dance in the first place.
Beyond that, what matters most to me is creating work that leaves people feeling something. Whether that’s through choreography, performing, teaching, or directing, I want the work I put into the world to have a lasting impact. At the end of the day, I don’t think success is measured only by awards or accomplishments. I think it’s measured by the people whose lives you’ve touched and the relationships you’ve built along the way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mikasanto.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/mikasanto_
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MikaSanto
