Melinda Songer Soderling was born in New Orleans and grew up in Jasper, Alabama, where she began her dance education at the tender age of four. As a high school student, she simultaneously attended the Alabama School of the Arts and Birmingham Southern College, while also teaching performance group classes and private lessons at Birmingham Dance Theatre.
During the summers, Melinda traveled extensively across the country as an assistant on 'Dance Olympus' conventions, as well as a scholarship student at Tremaine in Los Angeles and Broadway Dance Center in New York. Her impressive dance career has earned her numerous awards for both dance and choreography. She has also had the opportunity to share her expertise as a guest teacher at Broadway Dance Center Tokyo and Backstage Dance Studio Las Vegas.
After graduating from high school, Melinda's mentors recommended that she pursue a professional dance career. For many years, she performed in over 30 countries, living out of her suitcase and dancing in a variety of settings, from Radio City Music Hall to the Copa Room. She has also had the privilege of touring with Latin superstar Chayanne and assisting Alex Magno in creating a show for the prestigious JFoxx Tokyo.
Melinda's dance career has been marked by collaborations with renowned choreographers and directors, including Marguerite Pomerhn Derricks, Jerry Evans, Toni Basil, Peggy Holmes, Michael Darrin, Michele Assaf, and many others. She has also worked on several notable productions, including What Women Want (2000),Man on the Moon (1999),and Showgirls (1995).
In addition to her dance career, Melinda has also pursued an acting career in Los Angeles, appearing in numerous plays, including 'Speed the Plow', 'Crimes of the Heart', and 'Miss Firecracker'. As an actress, she has over 20 film and television projects to her credit, starring alongside notable actors such as Brian Dennehy, Jason Priestley, Goldie Hawn, Garry Shandling, Pamela Anderson, and Warren Beatty.
Melinda married cinematographer Kurt E. Soderling in 1999 and welcomed their daughter Logan Laurelle the following year. After becoming a mother, Melinda shifted her focus to behind-the-scenes ventures, producing numerous industrial shows, television pilots, and the television series 'Distinctive Living Television', where she was also a co-host from 2003-2006.
In 2004, Melinda gave birth to their son Luca Emond and co-produced the award-winning film Class of 83 (2004). She has also worked as a consulting producer for 'Painless Productions' in their reality television department.
