Meet Tiffany Mae Porter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tiffany Mae Porter and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tiffany Mae, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I’ve let go of chasing a work-life balance, because no two weeks or months have ever been the same in my calendar. I’m learning to navigate my career & creative renaissance with more self-trust in my own potential.

I accept that I am navigating a path that does not look conventional. But for the first time in my 30s, it feels authentic. Therefore, I accept the beauty of making mistakes on my path rather than rushing towards a specific destination of success.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
By day, I am a Barista at Warner Bros. By night, I’m a dancer who trains in Hip Hop (Movement Lifestyle, Millennium Dance Complex) & Hula (Aloha Hula Dance Studio). I aim to integrate Dance, Film, Theatre & Ancestral Herbalism into my life’s purpose as a Storyteller & Healer.

I was born in Manila, Philippines. My dad was an OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker), so I grew up in 1990s Abu Dhabi, UAE. My first-ever ‘dance class’ was in a classmate’s flat where the furniture was cleared out on weekends, so that girls like me could learn ballet. There were no dance studios or dance wear shops around, so my 6 year-old self wore a one-piece swimsuit & stockings repurposed into a leotard. “When we go to America, you can take all the dance classes you want,” my mom promised. In the 2000s, my family immigrated to San Diego, California.

In Mira Mesa, I was a theatre kid surrounded by the groundbreaking SoCal dance community- Studio FX is 5 minutes away from where I lived. In college, I was a full-time student within the San Diego Community College District, while attending on-camera acting classes on weekends. I transferred to CSUN for my undergrad Film Major, emphasis in Screenwriting, & moved to the San Fernando Valley. I graduated Cum Laude in 2018.

Postgrad were the lost years. In hindsight, I am grateful for my twenties, because I explored many entertainment industry roles: Talent Manager’s Assistant, Film Festival Marketing Assistant, Corporate Secretary, Art Director’s Assistant, Admin Assistant, Social Media Specialist, Grant Writer- until I became a Barista during the pandemic.

Throughout the pandemic, I fought a little-known women’s health issue: Bartholin’s cysts. The 1st time I fought it, I was alone in the ER on April 2020: In shock, on the cot, nonstop vaginal abscess drainage. The life-changing pain was hell, that I could not even sit up to drink water. “If I don’t dance again, I’ll die.” That was the first time I heard my heart cry- & dance was the furthest thing from my life then. I fought 10 Bartholin’s cysts until 2023 through holistic medicine. Ancestral herbalism re-introduced me to my cultural heritage through Filipino homecooking (I always cook sinigang from scratch) & TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine). A lot of traumas emerged. It was the loneliest time, but I am grateful for that healing journey chapter which led me to writing & acting again.

After not dancing for 12 years, I came home to myself as a dancer in December 2023. I’m currently (re)building my dance foundation with Hip Hop & Hula. Originally, I intended to do drop-in Beginner Choreo classes at mL every week until I felt ready to dance at the level I was when I last walked away. I didn’t expect that 7 months later- as of this writing- I’d be part of three dance studios, do 2 hip hop showcases & my 1st hula recital, do the Galen Hooks Method (dance intensive), start a vocal healing practice, build my dance + film + theatre + healer communities, & work full-time as a Barista at Warner Bros.

I am most proud of (finally) being kind to myself. It is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but doing so has transformed my life in record-breaking, barrier-defying ways. I’m ready to cultivate my communities as a multi-faceted Storyteller & ancestrally conscious Healer on behalf of my Philippine culture. I don’t know what the future holds, but I’m excited for my unique path to continuously, magically unfold.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Follow Your Heart in Canoga Park is my go-to vegan restaurant & market in the San Fernando Valley. I stock up on their pantry staples, candles, & clothes. This has become my happy place.

In Pacific Palisades, I love strolling around the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine. It’s an oasis for solitude within a loud city; my favorite place to meditate.

Earthensoul in Sherman Oaks is my go-to apothecary & refill station. Every month I see Ate Bobbi, I stock up on custom herbal remedies, elixirs from local LA businesses, & handcrafted goodies from the Philippines. This is a Filipina-owned business!

Whenever a friend wants to take a dance class with me, I bring them to Movement Lifestyle in Burbank. It’s the first dance studio where I returned home as a dancer. Shaun, Aye, & the mL family truly cultivate this space from the heart.

Bohemian House of Espresso + Chai on Spring & 6th St. in DTLA. The owner, Jasmine, makes the best Cardamom Date Coffee! She introduced me to coffee bean-alternatives for caffeine. This beautiful coffeeshop feels exactly how I remember what growing up in 1990s Abu Dhabi feels like. I can’t explain why- you’ll have to go on a coffee date with me here to understand.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I dedicate my shoutout to these communities, which have become my homes in this transformational season as an Actor, Dancer, Writer, Filmmaker & Healer:

East West Players
Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute
Movement Lifestyle
Millennium Dance Complex
Kore Dance Academy
Aloha Hula Dance Studio
The Galen Hooks Method
Heal Your Story by Megan February
Cinema Sala
Herbalaria
Earthensoul
The Seeding Circle
Chozin Healing

Instagram: @tiffanymaeporter

Image Credits
Mosaic Church media team