As a child, Frida Molina ’23 taught herself to dance. After earning her BFA in Dance at Adelphi, she has gone on to become a dancer with some of pop’s biggest stars.
On weekend nights in the Bronx in the early 2010s, Frida Molina ’23 was teaching herself to dance. In the hallway outside her parents’ apartment, she’d watch DJ/dancer Matt Steffanina’s hip-hop videos and copy every move she saw. Then she’d prop her phone up, record her best take and post it online.
Those grainy hallway videos were the first steps on a path that would eventually lead Molina to Adelphi University’s dance program, gigs with Lil’ Kim, Yailin la Más Viral and other artists, appearances in multiple music videos, and a coveted spot as a featured dancer in a Bad Bunny music video—all while building a career as a teacher, choreographer and mentor for the next generation.
Building a Dance Career From Scratch
Molina’s earliest training didn’t come from studios or competitions. It came from family parties—festive Dominican gatherings that included fun, informal dance competitions for the kids—and from whatever dance videos she could find online. “My parents didn’t have enough money to take me to dance,” she said. “I started learning through YouTube videos.”
Formal training followed in middle and high school at the Bronx Dance Academy and then the Talent Unlimited High School in Manhattan. After school, she headed to the Martha Graham School’s Teens at Graham program, where she discovered modern dance and even performed at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. For a while, she thought her future might be with a modern company like Martha Graham or on a Broadway stage.
Then she realized she didn’t want to choose between fine art and commercial work. She wanted to do all kinds of dance.
Finding Her Place in Adelphi’s Dance Program
When it came time for college, she chose Adelphi. “This is not only a school for dance, but it has so many different career paths and so many different majors and minors,” Molina said. “I wanted to be in a broader community and have friends who majored in other things.”
She enrolled in Adelphi’s dance program in 2019, focusing on ballet and modern—what is called “concert dance.” Teachers like Orion Duckstein, associate professor and chair of the dance department, and adjunct professor Jennifer Kreichman, saw something different in Molina—a student determined to keep one foot in the concert world and the other in the commercial dance scene.
While many classmates stayed on the traditional track, Molina commuted to Midtown Manhattan after her Adelphi classes to take hip-hop and urban dance classes. Her days were stacked: academic classes, technique, rehearsals, then the train ride into the city for more class—along with time to record and post on social media. “I was juggling everything at the same time,” she said. “But teachers like Orion and Jen gave me that space to embrace both my commercial side and concert side.”
Balancing Graduation With Dance Performances With Lil’ Kim
By the time Molina neared graduation in 2023, her résumé was already growing.
The first big-name artist she got to dance with was Lil’ Kim. Through connections she’d made in New York classes, a choreographer recommended her for a gig. Soon she was appearing in Lil’ Kim shows in Pennsylvania, Las Vegas and New York, “I was balancing graduating and then being on a flight the next day to perform with her in Vegas,” Molina said.
Then came a turn toward the Latin music world. She joined the team for Yailin la Más Viral, a Dominican artist gaining international attention. “We did our first mini tour that took us to Baltimore and Virginia.”
A Featured Dancer for Bad Bunny
For many dancers, performing with Bad Bunny is a dream. Molina’s chance came in late 2023, but it arrived wrapped in mystery. A friend who had performed with big names helped her get a job as a featured dancer/extra for a big club-scene video. The call sheet was vague on details. “They just said, ‘It’s for this major artist. We can’t say who.”
Even when she got to the set—an abandoned warehouse in New York transformed into a huge, pulsing nightclub—no one said who the star was. The music she rehearsed to gave no clue, either.
After hours of practicing moves, the moment finally arrived. The star walked out.
“I was like, ‘Oh my God. Like, this is Bad Bunny in front of my face right now,’” Molina said. “I couldn’t believe it.”
It was an experience of a lifetime—and experience built on a lifetime of hallway practice, packed schedules and saying yes to every opportunity.
Inspiring New Directions in Adelphi’s Dance Program
Molina’s career isn’t limited to performing. Thanks in part to relationships forged at Adelphi—especially with Kreichman, who invited her to co-choreograph a piece for a concert at Adelphi—Molina now teaches at Steps on Broadway; works as a dance educator/teaching artist in New York public schools through the 92nd Street Y; choreographs for emerging artists; casts dancers; and does movement coaching to help performers develop stage presence and personal style.
She’s also watched Adelphi’s program evolve. “Because of people like Orion, now there’s more space for commercial dance at Adelphi,” Molina said. “I see jazz, I see hip-hop there.”
Using Her Adelphi Dance Degree as a Launch Pad
For students dreaming of a life in dance—or parents wondering if it’s a realistic career path—Molina points to three things that helped her succeed: versatility, authenticity and consistency.
“Never put yourself in a box,” she said. “Whatever you want to try, go for it. As long as you’re determined, remain a good person, remain true to yourself and are consistent, you can make it.”
She also stresses the importance of social media as both a portfolio and networking tool.
“Social media is the biggest form of networking,” Molina said. “I think the biggest reason I’ve been blessed to be booked by these people is because I’ve been able to show people my personality through my social media.”