MEET OUR FOUNDER
Melony
Born in New Zealand, raised in Sydney and now proudly calling Adelaide home, Melony Cherrett is a mother of two little girls and a passionate businesswoman who has created a national burlesque-fusion dance community of thousands of people over the past 12 years. What began with just six people in a small community hall has now grown into a thriving movement across Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Tasmania.
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Choo La La is a supportive, uplifting space where people lift each other up as they strut, shake, shimmy and booty-pop their way to deeper connection, lasting friendships and powerful self-empowerment.Melony believes that all people deserve the opportunity to embrace and love their bodies — and she believes there is no more transformative way to do this than by stepping onto a stage and performing. Through more than 12 years of operating Choo La La, she has come to realise that the stage itself is just the platform. The real magic comes from what happens when people step outside their comfort zones. The transformation that unfolds in their confidence, their relationships and their everyday lives is nothing short of remarkable.
Melony
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What inspired her to start the business?
Melony founded Choo La La with the intention of sharing her love of dance and helping people feel more comfortable and confident in their own skin. Over time, that vision evolved into something far deeper than she ever imagined.
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At its core, Choo La La was created to be a place where everyone could truly belong — a space where people don’t have to fit into a mould, where they are free to show up as themselves, just amplified.
Growing up, Melony often struggled to feel like she truly fit in, particularly coming from a mixed-race background. She frequently felt like she existed between worlds, never fully belonging in any one space — until she found the stage. The stage became the one place where she felt completely seen.
A full-time graduate of the Brent Street School of Performing Arts (2003), Melony went on to work as a professional dancer and singer, travelling the world on the high seas as a showgirl. Standing at just 5’2”, she did not fit the traditional tall, leggy showgirl stereotype society often expects — but one opportunity changed everything when someone chose to see her light, her energy and the pure joy that radiated from her while performing.
That moment became the foundation for Choo La La. Melony wanted every person to experience that same rush of adrenaline, excitement and empowerment that the stage can bring — regardless of age, size, shape or previous dance experience.
From the hundreds of conversations she has had with members over the years, she knows that for many, stepping onto the stage is only the beginning of what they go on to unleash within themselves and their relationships. Watching that growth — from six people in a small hall to thousands across Australia — and being able to turn the spotlight onto everyday people so they can have their moment to feel seen and extraordinary, has become one of the greatest privileges of her life.
