By Khari Thompson, The Boston Globe Melisa Valdez always dreamed of being in the background, but her talent has put her front and center during these NBA Finals. As the Celtics’ in-arena host, she is one of the first people fans see on the jumbotron as they file into their seats at TD Garden. She can be seen all over the parquet floor, interviewing players, running halftime contests, and pumping up the crowd throughout the game.
“Melisa embodies what it means to be a Bostonian,” said Nicole Federico, senior vice president of marketing and content for the Celtics. “She has been instrumental to the Celtics brand by authentically connecting with our fans both locally and globally.” It was her love of dancing that set her on this path.
When she was younger, she would gather friends in her mother’s living room and pretend to choreograph dance routines to Destiny’s Child songs. From family parties to dance clubs at school, Valdez always found a way to keep moving. She moved to the United States at age 5 after being born in the Dominican Republic.
She spent her early years in New Jersey and Orlando, Fla. Most of her extended family lived in Massachusetts, so she moved here after high school. She considers Boston home now.
“After graduating high school, I wanted to be a professional background dancer,” Valdez said. “So when I moved to Massachusetts, I started getting involved in going to auditions in Boston and going to New York with my friends. “We would get in.