Getting to know... Hester Phillips

Hester Phillips, director of Conscious Dance Aotearoa Festival, is passionate about the power of community. With nearly 20 years of teaching experience, she brings people together through dance, creating a space where connection and belonging flourish.

I will never shut up about... The power of community. I think we all seek to feel part of something greater than ourselves and to experience a place where we belong. Teaching conscious dance classes for almost 20 years and running the Conscious Dance Aotearoa Festival has shown me the positive way community can function. One person often has what another person needs, whether that’s a friendly smile, an understanding ear, or a lift home! Coming together as a community can bring out the best in people. In a world where there is division and where it is easy to feel despondent, I source my inspiration from our local conscious dance community.

At a party you’ll find me... Playing music. When I was 12 years old, my best friend and I began putting together mix tapes for one another. Little did we know we would both one day be employed for this skill. My friend went on to become a world-class DJ. I can be found playing tunes on the conscious dance floor and at the odd party in Nelson.

I get my coffee fix from... Either Marnie at Dylan’s Bike Shop or Brad at Blink Coffee Bar (between Montgomery car park and Trafalgar St). Both make unbelievably good coffee, and Brad is an everyday Buddha. His take on life is beautifully humble and wise.

My most useless skill is... I can wriggle my little toe without moving any of my other toes. It looks freaky. Not many people know that about me. Does that count as a skill? I am not sure in what circumstances it would ever be useful? A boring party?

My real-life superpower is... Group facilitation – sensing what’s going on in a group and what might be needed next. I have some natural ability in the area, but mostly it’s a hard-won skill I’ve acquired over time. There have been moments in the past when I’ve stumbled while facilitating a group and I’ve wanted the ground to swallow me whole! What I’ve learned, though, is that it’s okay to make mistakes in front of a group, and owning up to when we feel vulnerable makes us relatable and human. My love of bringing people together and working with groups was partly why I instigated the Conscious Dance Aotearoa Festival five years ago. The group vibe when people are dancing at the festival is incredible.

When I need advice I go to... My stepfather, John Lepper. He is a total rock and the wisest and most generous person I know. He has an incredible intellect and penetrating insight, which he delivers with a working-class English accent. John keeps it real.

The world would be a better place with more... Care for others. It strikes me that we teach our children how to share toys in the sandpit because it’s a moral imperative for our children to share with and have concern for their classmates. And yet as adults we routinely accept and normalise a concern for self at the expense of the health and wellbeing of others. I strongly believe when we act in service of others, we all benefit and often in ways we can not have imagined. It’s perhaps one of life’s secrets: that serving others feels good and comes back around!