Esther Kim was born in Seoul, Korea and began dancing at age five. She received her training at Long Beach Ballet, under the the direction of David Wilcox. During her training, she participated in Regional Dance America festivals as a member of Long Beach Ballet Theatre and performed with the Los Angeles Classical Ballet. She continued her professional training at the Orange County School of the Arts, where she studied under Alaine Haubert and Sophie Monat in the Classical/Contemporary Dance Department.

Esther earned a B.A. in World Arts and Cultures from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2005. After graduation, she joined Ballet Magnificat, America’s premier professional Christian ballet company, under Artistic Director Kathy Thibodeaux. During her seven years with Ballet Magnificat, she toured in Europe, Asia, Central America and throughout the United States. She taught master classes and performed soloist and principal roles in an extensive array of productions of both classical and contemporary ballet.

Following her professional dance career, Esther was inspired to pursue the profession of physical therapy, where her passion for movement could also be utilized for rehabilitation. She received a doctorate in Physical Therapy at Northern Arizona University in December of 2017. She worked in outpatient orthopedics with a specialization in dance medicine at the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan. Esther and her family recently relocated to Bakersfield. Esther is married to her college sweetheart and they have three daughters. She is excited to share her experiences and love of dance with the students of Civic Dance Center.