Today we’d like to introduce you to Esai Ramirez.
Can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today. You can include as little or as much detail as you’d like.
Hey! I’m Esai Ramirez and I’m an International Choreographer, Artistic Director and Life Coach. I am also the creator of Feed the Soul, a lifestyle enlightenment predicated on finding balance, inspiring through creation and mindful living. Sounds mysterious right? That’s because it is! Life is a mystery worth discovering and is an adventure worth living.
Take a trip down the rabbit hole with me and my life journey to enlightenment. Understanding the meaning of life all started with movement for me. Dancing came into fruition at around the age of fourteen when I would dance with my Uncle Brandon. Brandon and I are only three months apart..and basically brothers. The Yin to my Yang. Brandon was a huge inspiration and a big part of how dance came into my life. In high school, I joined the high school Hip-Hop dance team where, eventually, I started breaking the barrier of feeling uncomfortable. That’s when I realized dancing was truly feeding my soul unconditionally.
At eighteen years old, my soccer journey was coming to an end while my dance career was evolving. Even though one path was being closed, another was opening up. I took the leap and joined a highly known Hip-Hop dance team in the SoCal Dance Community called GRV, which is based out of Pomona, where I attended Cal Poly. GRV was held in such a high light for me, so I was hyped to make the team. There were many unforgettable moments, like fighting for first place at Hip Hop International & World of Dance, rehearsing till 3 am in the morning, playing beer pong til 5 am in the morning, and performing in Sweden for the Hip Drop. I’m thankful for this specific experience because I felt like this was my first official moment where I was able to “let go.” I took that risk of auditioning for something that intimidated the f**k outta me. Once I surpassed that moment, I ignited my full interest in dance. I also gained knowledge about the local & global community inside the dance world, and found new inspiration for my career. Growing as a dancer on that team, I became attracted to the creative side of dance and structure of it. I knew that I wanted to create, and choreographing was the way to do so.
Starting my journey as a choreographer was so awesome! I was growing to understand music and movement better at this point. My love for creating through dance helped me explore everything connected to it: cultures, universal languages, artists, creations, musicality, diverse genres of music, connecting feelings & life experiences, story telling, and creating from truth. It made me thrilled to learn more and continue on this path as a choreographer and artist.
At the age of twenty, GRV left me with huge inspiration to push my craft consistently. The more I choreographed, I invested more time in training, which meant taking classes taught by professional and even local up and coming choreographers. As I discovered many dance classes, studios, and teachers in Los Angeles, and eventually the world, I found what teachers, styles and studios I was attracted to. A studio called Movement Lifestyle, created by Shaun Everisto, definitely caught my best interest out of all the studios I had taken from. ML is a community and industry based studio based in North Hollywood. I felt attracted to ML immediately because of the real organic energy and the support it held from the world. I found myself comfortable and inspired every time I took classes there. Even though ML stood out from the rest, I still explored and supported the teachers I enjoyed. After training outside of a team, I found myself wanting to eventually be a teacher at Movement Lifestyle and other studios I favored. I knew I had to be patient and trust the process.
At this point, I feel like I was understanding my body and the way it moved, especially with choreographing. As I was gaining more knowledge and more experience, I was introduced to a diverse dance group called Physical Poets, a group composed of artists like dancers, poets, graffiti artists, and stage performers. As I was introduced to Physical Poets, I discovered another important realm of dance, the freestyle and battle scene. Seeing how dancers flowed with creating on the spot and using it to battle an opponent was dope! This way of creating was something I enjoyed learning from, as a dancer, because it’s organic, real, and the energy is pure. I became heavily attracted to the originality of the culture, the sustainable lifestyle, and the connections & exchange dancers shared. It genuinely made me happy that even though dancers are from different origins, movement can be used to communicate. AWESOME!
Before I officially joined, Physical Poets presented me with an opportunity to choreograph for a three month dance tour in China! The opportunity came quick as hell and I had to make a decision, but I said f**k it, let’s do it. I definitely leveled up in many areas as a choreographer, especially finding my flow with creating, teaching, and staging pieces in a very shortened amount of time. I even entered and won my very first One-on-One Battle event in the Hip-Hop category. Yes for growth! The tour tested me mentally and physically throughout most of the way, but I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. I also found a love for traveling and learning about cultures, beliefs, and ways of living. Being overseas definitely grounded me in many ways. It made me humble, grateful for my life’s journey and made me realize that there’s so much of the world to discover.
Coming back from China gave me the fuel that ignited a new rigorous flame! I carried the momentum from China and started training again. From the many classes and different teachers I had learned from, I not only studied the dance itself, but how dance instructors taught. I noticed the similarities and differences between teaching styles of each choreographer.. As I explored various classes, I figured out the initial ways of running a class and how to keep people engaged. I also discovered that there’s not a specific or “right” way to run class. It’s all preference and what intention you want to give behind the moves. While the aim is to make class fun, I found it important that what the instructor leaves for dancers to take home is the key. I kept in mind that whatever class I took, I was going to find something to leave with. The more I analyzed classes and the ways of teaching, I felt the urge to teach classes myself. I’ve been consistent in the lab and I felt ready.. why not?
I started teaching at local studios in LA like Boogiezone, the Lab and eventually New York at House of Movement. As I broke the barrier and began teaching, I found what worked and didn’t work for me. I taught what I liked and that was great, but once I got the initial flow of running class, I began to understand that what I teach the students is important. In the most positive way, I taught classes with the intention of making everyone feel dope or good. It worked, became easier, and I developed confidence as an instructor. It made my heart warm to see people smiling and enjoying themselves through dance. My intuition gave me that feeling of belonging. It was an amazing feeling to know that what I loved doing, served a good purpose and I was meant for it. Teaching dance really became a bigger and more purposeful platform for me.
Teaching gave me strength, confidence and another confirmation that I wanted to push my career down this path as a professional Dancer and Choreographer. In doing so, I decided to audition for Movement Talent Agency,a dance and talent agency that helps artists (actors, dancers, models, etc.) find professional work. They connect dancers with jobs like commercials, music videos, tours, roles for TV shows and movies, and more. As I went on that journey, I booked things like a McDonalds commercial, a Schoolboy Q music video, choreographer projects, and even modeling for Insomniac. Being on MTA, I have met many inspiring dancers, choreographers and artists who I’ve made genuine connections with. I also learned many insights about what it takes to create a story or vision on set with a team and how to professionally execute it. I definitely gained more inspiration to create more dynamic, in depth, and appealing stories as an Artistic Director.
As I started auditioning and booking more gigs, I realized I needed to put more energy into my craft. Now that I had knowledge of creating and the dance world, I started to create content videos to promote myself as a Choreographer. These videos would be either a small concept or a raw showcase of my choreography. The more I choreographed and put energy into my craft, the more I found my flow. Once I found my flow with creating, I started to finesse my choreography style. This was fun for me because I tested out so many different songs, sounds and movements. I even worked on my freestyle game which was super exciting for me. I was becoming more aware of the fluidity with my craft and I was only getting better. During this time, I’ll never forget when my good friend invited me to a music show that pretty much changed the perspective of my artistry.
I feel like I can’t leave this out of the story because music is powerful and this moment really hit! That night was pure magic! It was a Soulection x Stussy show that featured underground and up and coming, DJs, singers, rappers and musicians. The sounds and vibrations were nothing like I’ve experienced, but it felt good & it fed my soul. The Soulection experience opened my soul a bit more and I became a firm believer in the intention behind what they created. They are a huge inspiration behind how I created my own aesthetic as an artist. After discovering Soulection, my sound palate developed and I can listen deeper to what sounds felt good. I was eager to create and learn more now that I built more confidence as a Choreographer and Artist.
My place in my artistry became more clear, and boy did it feel good. I had a strong connection and understanding with my dance career and where it was headed. All the energy and hard work that was put into finding my flow made me aware of how important focus, consistency and belief is to my life. I had many times where I was in my head too much thinking about things like giving up, but that’s where the internal work came in. I knew I had to believe, find balance, and invest time into my actual being of mind, body & soul. Nurturing these three parts of myself would help me shape who I would become, especially through these creations and the intentions behind the movements. I felt that connection with yourself and internal work was a huge part of the creation process. If I couldn’t understand myself, how could I expect other people to understand me, my perspective or my intentions behind my story telling? I understood that connecting and caring for your well being is essential to life and whatever you pursue, especially as a Creative.
Through that time of self development, I believed that promoting personal wellness and positive energy, along with my craft, would carry a deeper meaning. This way of looking at life honestly changed my whole lifestyle positively and it definitely showed in my next steps of my career choices. I felt myself not only as an up and coming Choreographer, but as an overall positive Influencer. This led me to an idea of starting a lifestyle brand, a brand that would represent me as an artist, but also embody the lifestyle of consistently feeding your soul. This is how I came up with the brand idea called Feed the Soul. (Fun fact, I was inspired with the name through my dog, Crixus. The idea would be to use part of his eyes to show a beast like imagery and the beast would represent your soul. What do you feed your soul?)
I was super excited to start my own brand with such a positive intention behind it. I believed Feed the Soul would become something that would inspire so many. The idea of the brand gave me something positive to work towards and it would represent me in such a positive light. It gave me that meaningful energy to keep working hard towards my goals no matter how big they were growing to be. Training and choreographing with such passion and power helped create some influential projects that led me to where I am today. I felt the confidence and energy behind the decisions I was making, not only with my career but with my life.
At twenty-four, I stood focused and consistent enough to eventually teach at the studios I once trained at. I was also taken under the wing of one of my favorite choreographers, Lyle Beniga. I assisted Lyle in his Field of Vision tour in China which was a huge blessing. He really guided the way for me and taught me many valuable lessons that help shape my dance career. Not going to lie, this all felt like a damn dream at the time! But I had the confidence and trust to know that I carried an important purpose, and what I was doing was working. At that point of clarity, I stood humble and grinded even harder than ever. I then taught consistently overseas in the cities of China the next two years, mainly at the up and coming Sinostage.
Things became more consistent with my career as a whole when I moved to Pasadena, where I still reside. I’m closer to all the resources I need, around the open mindedness of Los Angeles and couldn’t be happier. I’m creating clearer stories backed with intention, seeking growth in every situation, exploring life’s experiences, using my voice through ‘Feed the Soul’ and becoming more mindful as a human being. I’m overall leveling up in every area of my life and it’s dope af! If it wasn’t for the trust and love in my circle, my family and Feed the Soul, I wouldn’t have made it this far. It pushed me to take more risks with everything and become more vulnerable. It became known in my classes as I started taking mindful approaches of how I ran them. Through incorporating Mind, Body and Soul exercises, it truly gives a living experience of what Feed the Soul represents. I’m excited to put more positive energy into this powerful enlightening movement.
I recognized that in the past three years of my life, every day should be lived as if it was your last. Life’s challenges and waves will test us and the decisions we make will break or shape us. I came to realize that I want to bring the world closer to peace, love and understanding, and if it’s going to happen, ‘Feed the Soul’ is going to be the source. Feed the Soul puts life into perspective and carries many intentions that can be useful for any individual. This Mindful Movement gives guidance to feed your soul, bringing a life filled with peace and happiness. Through this movement, I aim to provide valuable sources, tools and insights that will help shape the world in the most positive way. By bringing awareness through a soulful light, I have grown to understand that the world needs artists and believers like me. People that can lead with love and create from truth, will keep the seeds of inspiration flowing. Everyone on this planet is a super human being with a unique flow. Through the journey of life’s discoveries, we have the potential to shape our reality with how we create and make decisions. It all starts with the mind.
It’s a blessing to wake up every morning knowing I can experience life’s discoveries and all its opportunities. I’m excited to continue this journey through life making mindful movements that will help guide people, of every nature across the world, into bliss and investing true energy into what’s essential in life. If the intention is coming from a peaceful, more loving area then our decisions will continue to inspire positivity, love and compassion. It will make Mother Earth happy. I’m super grateful that I have this universal platform of movement to connect & heal, share my stories, and inspire the world. If you’re not grateful, leading with love and creating from truth, then what’s truly feeding your soul?
Has it been a smooth road? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
For me, I see life as water. The journey of life is always filled with waves of ups, downs, crashes, and even stillness. It comes in many forms that are, most of the time, not in our control. I’ve learned that through life’s waves of challenges it’s important to ride the wave with an open mind and not being attached to any outcome. The result may or may not be the way it was intended it to be, but what matters is how the result settles in. What reaction or decision was made out of the result? I’ve found through practicing becoming present and patient, it’s easier to understand that things aren’t happening because of you, but simply because everything just happens. There’s a lesson to be learned one way or another and the positive should be seeked out in these times of “struggle.” If one can become aware of this, this is called seeking growth through any and every outcome.
I don’t even like using the world “struggle.” I’ll replace words like that with sayings like “character building,” “self growth,” or “developing self.” I love and resonate with the quote by Kevion Sterdivant that states, “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” Kevion is a Life Coach that has a heavy inspiration of what my life has turned into. Tony Robbins is another knowledgeable Life Coach that is well known and a huge source of light for me. I listen to these Public Speakers through their podcasts because they relate to the struggle and give insightful tools. They put their teachings into a perspective that increases the ‘want’ to listen. These self development podcasts are so essential to figuring out how to maneuver through life’s tests. I think it’s important to feed your mind information that will strengthen your perspective on decision making. I guarantee that the more you listen and learn, the more you’ll find your life becoming blissful.
But yeah, I’ve had some tough moments throughout my lifetime. The main struggle, I would say, for me was in the mind. There’s been times where I’ve thought too much, doubted myself or reacted without thinking. Overthinking can really make more of a situation when, in reality, it’s probably not that serious. I’ve come across doubt many times. I would be worried things wouldn’t work or didn’t believe I had what it takes. But that’s the subconscious making up stories or illusions of self doubt. It all takes awareness, control and belief. It can also be tough making a decision or reacting without thinking. So, through experience, I’ve learned to control the mind through breathing, focus, and occasionally a 3 step process I learned called Recognize, Realize and Recreate. I recognize I’m in a funk, then I realize the real lies, and lastly, I recreate it into a positive. This process helped me tremendously many times and I often pass it along to others.
Tell us about your business/company. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of as a company? What sets you apart from others?
I began as my own business through successfully being a Dancer, Choreographer and Teacher. This journey of dance, classes lead me to understand that it’s more than just dance moves, it’s intentional movement. These classes contain exercises that nurture the mind, body and soul. I find it important to guide students through these three main pillars because it will aid in connecting & executing the movement Everything begins with mindset! Focusing in and getting grounded puts everything in perspective. Setting an intention and visualizing the growth can really expand the mind. Once the mind is aware, the body can have a sense of direction and begin to move with intention. When there’s mindful movements that connect to the music, it creates that “feel good,” which is feeding the soul. It’s all connected! That’s why I decided to extend my knowledge through a bigger platform that guides and explains this importance of awareness, nurturing, and mindful movements.
That led into creating ‘Feed the Soul,’ a lifestyle movement predicated on enlightening balance, nurturing oneself and living mindfully. To find balance with oneself will lead to living a blissful life. I found that feeding the first three elements are key and the foundation of living a balanced life. Balancing the core which is Mind, Body and Soul brings awareness. Once the core is balanced, then it goes into your actual ‘being’ in life. Your being in life is taking action mindfully or, in other words, moving with intention. Becoming aware of what you feed your soul can be easier than you think and will bring a life filled with soulful gems. ‘Feed the Soul’ is the guide for anyone, in any state, that serves as an all around resource to develop oneself to create and live a sustainable life.
We all contain a gift that must be nurtured and handled with compassion. Once the ego is not in control and the soul is fed, the external growth will flourish. Seeking growth in these areas can lead to a more intentional life. Since we have the ability to invest into ourselves and how we make decisions in life, it’s important to be conscious enough to know these insights. ‘Feed the Soul’ is a genuine light that will guide the inner being into clarity through acts of self love. It’s important to be aware of daily habits and our life’s choices because they will eventually lead into what we hold in life. Believe it or not, it actually affects the people around and the things you attract. Law of Attraction! You can practice more consistently through ‘Feed the Soul’s beneficial exercises and sources until they are instilled and become natural. As you experience the offerings of ‘Feed the Soul’ and build consistency, you’ll realize that all things desired will be guided into fruition and can manifest sooner than expected. Therefore, leading into an all around healthier and aligned life. So many blessings!
I love the concept of ‘Feed the Soul’ simply because it’s sustainable and timeless. It holds longevity at the core and will forever be something to refer back to in any part of life. It’s genuine, positive, real and carries a powerful intention. It will continue to grow to be an inevitable light. A light that will outshine all the negativity and transform all the bad energy. FTS guides individuals into a life worth living and seeing life through love. It’s exciting talking about it! I believe this will be passed down my line of generations and will grow to be something very powerful. I genuinely love ‘Feed the Soul’ because it serves people the soul food for becoming happy. It’s my purpose and I enjoy making people happy!
This enlightening lifestyle brings valuable guidance and insights, through love and truth, that will positively inspire the world. ‘Feed the Soul’ provides sources like classes, exercises, helpful tools, eclectic insights, and ‘feel good’ soul food. Mother Earth and the people that live today deserve to be surrounded with love and compassion. By bringing awareness through a soulful light, I have grown to understand that artists are what make the world go round. Artists that truly lead with love and create from truth, will keep the seeds of inspiration flowing. ‘Feed the Soul’ will inspire individuals of every nature to invest true energy into the Mind, Body and Soul. It will build confidence in trusting that these beneficial daily habits will shape your lifestyle in the most positive way. Everyone has their own flow and journey… If one can breakthrough, find balance and believe through life’s discoveries, then one can become conscious enough to make mindful movements.
What’s your favorite memory from childhood?
My favorite memory as a kid were definitely the birthday parties. I’m thankful for my mom because she always tried her best to make my parties fun. She put a lot of thought and effort into making the parties unique and enjoyable for everyone. Every party was different and decorated with whatever I liked at the time. There were parties revolving around my favorites like soccer, Toy Story, Power Rangers, Pokemon, SkateExpress and of course Spongebob. I was always super happy because she made me feel like a young Prince. Being the only child, I can see why she went all out of these parties. I am grateful for my powerful, cool and beautiful Mother. Shout out to my mom! I love you momma!
Contact Info:
- Address: 859 N. Fair Oaks Ave. Unit 305
Pasadena, CA, 91103 - Website: feedthesoul.global
- Phone: 9092348141
- Email: ramirez_esai@yahoo.com
- Instagram: @flexinflvcko
- Other: youtube.com/EsaiYeah
Image Credit:
Jordan Reyabad, Jonnelle Monzon, Germome Ventura, Cristine Jane, Bean
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