Alumni Spotlight: Eleena Melamed

SAB alumna and Private Equity professional Eleena Melamed is a Principal in the Executive Office of Carlyle.

Prior to her career in finance, she danced professionally with American Ballet Theatre for five years. After retiring from the stage, she studied political science at Columbia University, graduating as valedictorian of her class. Eleena has worked with Lehman Brothers’ Private Equity Division, Bridgewater Associates, and KKR. Now as an SAB parent, Eleena graciously agreed to be interviewed for SAB’s Alumni Spotlight feature in this quarter’s member newsletter.

How did you first discover ballet and how did you come to SAB?

Eleena Melamed: I was born with a badly dislocated hip. Even after wearing a full-body cast and being immobilized for the first year of my life, the doctors told my mother that I would always walk with a limp. My mother is herself a doctor and a life-long ballet fan. She believed that ballet would strengthen my hip. She put me in classes as soon as I could stand up. She was right (thanks, Mom)! Nowadays, I may limp occasionally but it is only from injuries incurred while dancing at home with my daughter Lucy!

When I was five, we immigrated to America from Israel. During that tumultuous period of transition, the ballet studio was the place I felt safest and happiest. I went to classes as much as my mom would let me – I couldn’t get enough.

Then, when I was six, we went to see NYCB’s Nutcracker. I remember that performance vividly. We sat in the third ring on the side with a partial view. I couldn’t see faces or too many details since we were high up, but it was one of the most inspiring experiences of my life. The live music was so captivating.

“I started dancing around next to my seat. The usher kept telling me to stop and stay seated. But eventually, she gave up and begrudgingly watched me dance with a smile on her face. I told my mom afterward that I HAD to be one of those kids on the stage.”

I couldn’t contain myself, and I started dancing around next to my seat. The usher kept telling me to stop and stay seated. But eventually, she gave up and begrudgingly watched me dance with a smile on her face. I told my mom afterward that I HAD to be one of those kids on the stage. I begged her to make that happen, and I was unrelenting. I auditioned for SAB that year and began training at the school when I was seven. I made my NYCB Nutcracker debut as an angel when I was eight. I spent ten years at SAB, performing in Nutcracker countless times with both NYCB and later in American Ballet Theatre’s production as a member of the company. But thinking about that first time I saw The Nutcracker still leaves me breathless.

The feeling I remember most consistently throughout my training was this sense that I was part of something much larger and more important than me. I was a tiny part of this amazing school with incredible teachers and students, attached to this remarkable company that Balanchine built. And together, we were all part of an artistic community that sought only to uplift and inspire through our art. It made me incredibly proud to be a part of that even from a very young age.

I loved SAB, but at the same time, it was not easy! Training for anything at that level is hard, and it should be hard. There were many tears and disappointments through the years – bad classes, bad auditions – definitely moments of self-doubt. It’s funny, when you ask what my favorite memories are from those years, it isn’t necessarily the successes that I remember most fondly. Don’t get me wrong. I loved every single performance I was a part of with NYCB. I still remember Kay’s pointe class combinations, Stanley’s coaching for the workshop, and variations classes with Suki.

“The most meaningful memories are the disappointments and the empowerment of working myself through those. Those are the times when I learned the most and remember the strength of my SAB community.”

But the most meaningful memories are the disappointments and the empowerment of working myself through those. Those are the times when I learned the most and remember the strength of my SAB community.

For example, after being an angel when I was in second division, I was the only one in my third division class who was not in The Nutcracker. The school was smaller then; I think that almost all of the children were in The Nutcracker. I was nine and very upset. Madame Tumkovsky, who was lovingly known as Tumey, was one of my teachers that year. One day after class, Tumey kept me afterwards (I was terrified) and she asked me why I was so distracted. I told her that I felt very sad that I was not selected for The Nutcracker. She took my hand and looked me straight in the eye and said, “Eleena, no time for sadness, only time for training. You work harder, you will see, just work, work, work.” The whole rest of The Nutcracker season, Tumey put me in the front row for every class. She would come to me at the barre and hold my hand. She would smile at me and nod her head with approval. She was still tough on me; there were no passes from Tumey. But at the same time, she was lifting me up. She made sure that I stayed focused. She never stopped believing in me and pushing me. This is just one example, but there were many more moments when she and my other teachers at SAB lifted me up and inspired me. It takes a great leader or coach to be able to push people farther than they think they can go, to uplift through the inevitable disappointments, and to give honest, tough feedback in a way that still inspires and motivates. I think what is required to do that is trust, deep compassion, and empathy as Tumey and so many others exemplified at SAB.

I think what may be surprising to most people about SAB and the ballet community more broadly is that we are a family in every sense of the word. There is a closeness and loyalty amongst dancers that is enduring. People always ask me about the competition – if there was hostility or animosity amongst dancers. It is clearly a competitive profession, but within SAB and the ballet world more broadly, we were all incredibly supportive of each other. My SAB community is my family. To this day, we are always there for each other. Perhaps precisely because ballet is so competitive, we all quickly learn that you cannot succeed on your own. You need help from your community, and we were stronger together than alone.

Columbia opened the world to me. I loved learning – I was curious and enthusiastic. I sat in the front row of every class. I went to every office hour. I was so happy to be there!

“I approached my studies with the same determination and focus that I had learned as a dancer at SAB. It made me a very successful student – the discipline, the grit, the work ethic, and the unrelenting pursuit of excellence that SAB taught me have always stayed with me.”

I approached my studies with the same determination and focus that I had learned as a dancer at SAB. It made me a very successful student – the discipline, the grit, the work ethic, and the unrelenting pursuit of excellence that SAB taught me have always stayed with me. I graduated as valedictorian of my class at Columbia, not because I was any smarter than anyone there, but because of those values that SAB instilled in me.

When it came to my next career, that was not so straightforward. I studied political science. I interned for nonprofits in the Middle East and worked in broadcast journalism at both ABC News and NBC News. None of it really felt right to me as a career. But I was very flexible and open-minded, and I explored all the opportunities that I could. After receiving the Future Global Leader award from Goldman Sachs, I had some exposure to investment banking and was fascinated by the industry. I loved the intensity of it, the high standards, the creativity it demands, and the challenge. I ended up at Lehman Brothers in the investment banking analyst class of 2006.

SAB taught me perseverance, discipline, and resilience. My teachers instilled in me this drive to achieve, to set high goals and go after them without any excuses, to demand excellence, and to “just work, work, work”! SAB also taught me how important it is to give and seek honest feedback, how to deal with failure and mistakes, and how to pivot quickly when things aren’t working. I think you can only really succeed at something as hard as ballet if you refuse to accept limitations and rejections – we dancers always find a way forward! These values have certainly helped me achieve success in my career in private equity.

Lastly, SAB ingrained in me a sense of humility and gratitude, an appreciation for being a part of something greater, and a drive to work toward a common goal with my team. I seek to foster a culture where people believe we are stronger together than apart and where competition unites instead of divides.

I would encourage them to be open minded, curious, and to get comfortable living in ambiguity. Sometimes, not knowing what you want is ok and even healthy! I think this can be challenging for dancers. It was for me. Dancers know from a very young age what their passion is, and they are singularly focused on it. To train at that level, you have to be undoubtedly laser focused.  When you step out of that bubble and the thing that has been your sole focus is gone, it can be overwhelming. Embrace the not knowing! Be open to what comes your way. Be relentlessly curious and explore as much as possible. It is okay to try many different things until you find the right fit. Surround yourself with a good support system, and enjoy the ride.

Most importantly, I would emphasize to them that they are more capable and more prepared than they could ever imagine for anything they choose to do next. I had a real crisis of confidence when I retired. I spent 20 years focused on only ballet, and I worried I wouldn’t be prepared or capable of doing anything else. But those values we learned during training at SAB stay with you and will make you successful at anything else you do!

I watched with elation the first time Lucy performed as an angel in The Nutcracker. I see her making her own memories and finding so much joy in her love for dancing. I see her working her way through any challenges that arise, and most importantly, charting her own path. She now gets to define her dreams and go after them. I don’t know what the future holds for Lucy. But I do know that no matter where she ends up she will always be grateful for all she learns at SAB and she will be better for it.