Esther Nunes

Esther Nunes started dancing when she was about six or seven years old. She would say she realized dance was her passion when she was still elementary school and had a performance. It was the first time Esther performed on stage and was definitely when she realized that it was her passion. Being a performer, there’s no better feeling than when she is performing on stage, that’s when she realized that dance was something that she loved and wanted to continue doing.

Dance has impacted Esther's lifestyle because it’s a form of expression for her. She has noticed that as she's gotten older if she goes a long time without dancing and if she's going through something, for example, she catches herself thinking “I need to dance.” That’s the only way that like she will feel better or that will help her calm down a little bit. Another way I will say dance has impacted her lifestyle is just being active.

Since Esther graduated high school she has still continued to dance but not as much as she used to. When she was in high school, Esther would dance at school, after school to a dance class, and then after that would take a Zumba class. This was her weekly schedule at the time.

Now she still dances just obviously not as much, she has felt the withdrawal of being active as an adult so she's definitely taken that into consideration. Esther started putting in a lot more hours at the gym and looked into taking more dance classes or fitness classes so that she can always be moving her body and staying active.

As dancers tend to be very hard and critical of themselves, throughout the years, Esther's lesson from dance is to let loose and to be a little easier on herself because as a dancer we’re always seeking that perfection but we know now that there is no such thing as perfection so it’s okay to just have fun and to not always pay so much attention to all the little details whether it be in dance or in life.

Esther took dance in school starting in elementary school, continued all the way until high school, and even college too. Esther enrolled in a dance school. Since she came on board a little late, she was usually the oldest or one of the older girls in the dance class. She was dancing with girls who are younger than her but who has been dancing at the school for numerous years so at times it was a little discouraging. Esther would sometimes catch herself being ashamed because she didn’t know how to do some of the basic things that they had been doing for so long.

Esther was still there trying and had to remind herself that the whole purpose of her being there was to get better. Looking back, she sees that there was no reason to feel embarrassed or less than anybody there because she learned a lot, and thankfully was also able to keep up with everybody in the class and made friends that she cherishes to this day. She's grateful for that experience. Those experiences helped mold her into the dancer she is today because she took a lot out of those classes that still apply to when she dances now. Doing contemporary and ballet helped Esther a lot with her technique that helps her when doing a jazz or hip hop piece.

The most memorable experiences for Esther are pieces that she worked so hard on and even stressed so much to be perfect for the performance. However, when she saw everything coming to life on stage, it was such a priceless moment and it’s something that will always remain in her heart forever.

Esther always noticed that teaching is something that she was very good at. Teaching dance is really easy for her to explain and make everything really clear for the dancers. She likes the entire experience honestly. Seeing when the students actually get the steps and they’re able to do it the way she taught it or even seeing them do it in their own way and incorporate their own style into it.

She loves seeing that too as it inspires her to possibly create something else or base something off that in the future. Seeing the dancers in their own element, it’s so rewarding to Esther. A piece that will always have a special place in her heart is one Esther choreographed for a showcase where the theme was So You Think You Can Dance. Esther was choreographing a dance where the theme was mirroring Ghostbusters so she had dancers split up into good guys and bad guys. The entire dance was as if they were the Ghostbusters trying to get to the bottom of a mission and the criminals were finding their way to be mischievous and escape them until they all finally come together at the end and dance together. She even incorporated a lot of props into this dance which made it a little difficult. When she saw her entire vision come to life on those days of the performance it was a price that cannot be paid. It was the most amazing feeling and she's still so proud of that dance.

COVID-19 has actually made a positive impact on Esther's dance life because recently she hasn't been able to dance as much because of her academic studies which she has been very focused on. Esther had to take a little break from dance, unfortunately, but since she's in quarantine, a lot of choreographers have been having online classes and she now has the time since she's not working or physically going to campus for classes. She has been able to dance at home and learn some new choreography and just keep her body moving.

Dance has always been and it always will be something to bring light into Esther's life so being able to just dance freely especially without having that weight and pressure to make it perfect for performance or anything has been so great its such a great way to stay positive right now with everything going on.

Esther thinks that if anybody, even if they're not a professional dancer or someone who dances seriously can learn some choreography from a video. It's such a great way to keep yourself busy and get your mind off of everything that’s going on. It’s a good way to take time for yourself and to occupy your mind

Her dance teacher from high school Nicole Lemoine will always be a mentor in dance for me.

She always made dance so much fun and she taught me so much that I didn’t know and really prepared me for dance life after high school. Her poise and elegance was always something that I admired and it’s she’s someone that I will always look up to. I don’t teach as much anymore, but if I ever do or whenever I do I would hope that my dancers will always feel that they are in a safe space to dance, where they can make mistakes and know that they are there to fix them and to get better just like I felt in my dance school. This way I would want them to be able to grow inside my class to further their career outside of my class

To Esther, dance in 3 words is freeing, fun and love. Teaching in 3 words would be inspiring, responsible, and encouragement. In this new age of technology, Esther has seen dance come up so far out and it’s helped so many people. It’s inspired so many people to try to dance even if it’s something that they might not be comfortable with at first, but the end of discovering something that they like to do. She thinks the dance community is only going up from here. The impact has definitely been positive on society because she's seen it bring so many opportunities to people who needed it and who may have not gotten the opportunity if they didn’t dance. She loves to see that, especially through something so communal as dance.

As a dancer, Esther definitely wants to further her dance abilities and plans on doing that by taking more classes outside of what she already knows. That means meeting more people in the community and getting as much exposure as possible to get her name out there. Once she's able to take classes again, she would love to branch out into the city where the dance community is very present and get into the habit of taking classes over there. Esther thinks that it can be a first step to opening doors to many new opportunities and overall be a great learning experience. This upcoming year as a dancer her goal is always to remain healthy so she's able to continue dancing, that’s always a main priority. To branch out more and definitely look for classes but also auditions as well so she can get into the habit of auditioning for agencies or shows and take advantage of all opportunities that come her way.