Journey to the Heart of the Dance

Hester is dedicated to liberating the creative spirit in others and is passionate about how creativity and most especially dance can support and empower people and communities. Since dancing on the dining room table when she was a child, Hester has always loved to move to a good rhythm but it was not until her mid-twenties when Hester suffered a long term health condition did Hester truly appreciate the transformational power of dance. “My deepest self speaks through movement, dance is my native tongue. I no longer suffer physical symptoms to hear the wisdom my body holds, instead I dance.”

Hester holds healing spaces for people from many backgrounds including the growing and vibrant conscious dance community in Nelson, children, people with chronic and medically un-diagnosed illness, people with special needs and people living with a variety of mental health challenges. Hester is the organiser and co-creatress of Conscious Dance Aotearoa/ New Zealand. Aotearoa / New Zealand’s first gathering/festival dedicated to Conscious Dance.

Hester holds a Master of Arts in Art Therapy and is a professional Arts Therapist, educator and an accredited Open Floor movement meditation/dance teacher. Since 2005, Hester has facilitated regular conscious dance classes and workshops throughout Aotearoa.