Hello there!
I'm Esmeralda Colabone and I'm a contemporary Intercultural artist - Mediterranean inspired (very much inspired, I must say)! Dance came into my life in a very early stage; from the first ballet classes to my jazz adventures, it was clear to me that dancing was a happy place and I was somehow good at it.
My artistic practice is an alchemy of inherited and chosen lineages. I am a product of multiple diasporas converging: my roots are planted in one of the classic Brazilians narrative of transatlantic crossing, where European immigrants and Afro-Brazilian ancestors met and merged.
This heritage of thresholds is my birthright.
But my path led me to a profound, personal immersion. In 2002, at just 19 years old, I was introduced by manager Omar Naboulsi to La Maison De L'Artiste in Lebanon—the most prestigious entertainment agency in the Middle East from 1980 to 2015. To my surprise, I became the youngest dancer at the time to secure a professional contract with them. In essence: I was discovered, chosen, and broke a record at one of the field's most prestigious institutions before I turned 20.
For 12 years, I lived and performed across the Arab world—from the Maghreb to the Gulf and the Levant, for the most prestiges Syrian-Lebanese restaurants inside 5 stars hotels such as Hilton, Rotana, Fairmont and JW Marriot.
There, I was not a visitor, but a student, a coworker, a roommate, a friend; I was one of them. I was cared for, culturally educated, and technically shaped by the local communities and master artists.
This journey transformed my inherited plurality into a deep, embodied vocabulary and forged me into the artist I am today.​
My work is a result of the grounded polyrhythms and of the Mediterranean mixed with the expressive complexity of Arabic dance and the structural discipline and lines of classic/modern ballet. This cross-cultural alchemy forges a contemporary identity of my own - the direct synthesis of a life lived in deliberate dialogue. It stands as a testament that from meeting, blending, and deep respect, profound new identities are forged in motions.
My commitment extends beyond the stage as an educator. Once I retired from the Arabic stages (2014), I channeled a lifetime of knowledge into founding and directing my own school for four years (2016 - 2020), where I mentored dancers and produced three major student productions. It was an intense experience that taught me so much, increased my reputation and - together with all my past experiences - established me as one of the most significant career in my country within this art form. On parallel, I debuted in the Dance Festival field and since then I've been taking part in the most prestiges Arabic dance festivals around the world, as well as retreat programs and intensives.I'm glad you found me and I hope we can dance together somewhere in the world.
- GLOBAL FOOTPRINT -
This is not just a list of places, but a record of dialogues. In each of these countries, my dance found an audience, a culture, a different story. I went, I danced, I learned, and I shared. This is the geography of my journey:
Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, England, Ecuador, France, Germany, Guatemala, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, Mexico, Oman, Portugal, Poland, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Spain, Syria, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, The Netherlands, Tunisia, Ukraine, USA, United Arab Emirates.
