Chelsea Aguiar is the first to say she was a born performer. “My family has video of me belting out Whitney Houston songs when I was three years old,” she said with a laugh. By age five she was taking dance lessons. She attended her first NDI New Mexico performance by age seven. “It was the biggest production I had ever seen, and I was so excited to dance with NDI New Mexico,” she said.
Her NDI New Mexico career began, as it does for many children, with the in-school program she joined as a fifth grader at Atalaya Elementary School in Santa Fe. As a talented dancer and natural athlete, she quickly graduated to the SWAT team, then was promoted to the Celebration team, all while taking classes at another dance school.
“What made NDI New Mexico special, and why I made it my home, was the lack of socio-economic divide that you see in many other dance schools,” she said. “I always felt like a bit of an outsider at other dance programs. NDI made its environment and programs accessible to everyone, which created a safe and supportive environment. The instructors were very aware of every kid’s life story and were very invested in who we were as people. It was my safe space, where I felt truly seen, and where I could make mistakes and be held accountable but also be loved and supported.”
“My dance training at NDI prepared me for a level of professionalism that most people my age and in my industry did not yet have.”
Aguiar remained with NDI New Mexico throughout high school. She attended the North Carolina School for the Arts, studying contemporary dance, then moved to New York City to study acting. Like so many 20-somethings trying to make it (and make rent) in a big city, she worked multiple jobs while studying acting and auditioning. One of those jobs, as a personal trainer, opened her up to the multi-faceted, entrepreneurial, and highly successful career she has today. She established a private personal training business, which led to a successful fitness modeling career with companies such as Apple and Adidas, and a consulting business with clients such as Bowflex, Athleta and Under Armour.
“My dance training at NDI New Mexico prepared me for all of it,” she said. “I had a level of professionalism that most people my age and in my industry did not yet have. I knew how to speak with agents and executives, how to present myself in different environments, and how to treat all people with respect. All of that had to do with NDI New Mexico and dance.”
Aguiar continues to live in New York City. She is now mother to a three-year-oId daughter who, to no one’s surprise, loves to dance. Aguiar’s career has continued to evolve and thrive. She still models, maintains a robust list of clients in her personal training business, and works as a product development consultant in the fitness industry. Her most recent endeavor is consulting with Hudson River Trading, an algorithmically based, high-frequency trading fund, helping the company develop health- and performance-focused employee programs and initiatives.
“A lot of what made me feel I could do these things with confidence and success came from my experience with NDI New Mexico and the core belief they instilled in all of us: We are valuable, we do matter, we can succeed, we can contribute, we can bring excellence into other spaces.”