De Jesus vows to lead through service and expression

Ernesto De Jesus, a prominent student leader and creative, currently serves as vice president of the award-winning University of Namibia (Unam) Dance Society. He is also an executive member of the newly inaugurated Mr and Miss Unam Society 2025.De Jesus is a member of Unam’s award-winning dance crew, UCDC, with whom he represented Namibia at the World of Dance South Africa competition, securing both first and second place titles.He is also an accomplished competitive dancer and public speaker, having earned multiple national titles in both solo and group dance categories. In 2024, he was named best debater and public speaking finalist at the Unam Rookies Competition.His community involvement includes participation in the Be Free Youth Campus suicide prevention campaign, judging school pageants and speaking at student arts exhibitions. He also joined fellow students in frontlining a peaceful protest against gender-based violence and the abduction of schoolgirlsin Okahandja.Identity and impactAs a choreographer, De Jesus created the introduction dance for Miss Petite Global Namibia 2025 and is currently preparing routines for the upcoming Mr and Miss Unam 2025 pageant.Reflecting on the challenges of working in pageantry, he said: “My biggest challenge was posture and walking tempo, which are very different from dance movement. I had to learn to slow down and be intentional with how I moved on stage,” he said, referring to the Mr Unam pageant he competed in last year, where he won the title.De Jesus describes his dance style as “Open: Fusion”, blending contemporary, Afro, hip-hop and Latin influences. He says his creative process always begins with the emotional message of a piece, rather than the technical choreography.He credits his family and public figures such as Mmoloki Samoca, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Simone Biles as key inspirations.Looking forward, De Jesus says he will continue to use his platform to advocate for youth, support mental health awareness and promote freedom of expression through dance and public speaking. “Success is a legacy in motion,” he said. “Every space I enter is an opportunity to reflect identity and impact.”

De Jesus vows to lead through service and expression

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-16

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De Jesus vows to lead through service and expression

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-16

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