We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jimena Bustamante a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jimena , looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
My work ethic comes from a hunger to grow and prove that my passion and talent can take me as far as I want to go. Ever since I started dancing, I did it with devotion—even when my parents and the people around me told me that pursuing a dance career as a Mexican wasn’t realistic. I believe that in this industry, work ethic is just as important as talent and other factors. It’s not enough to have the right look or a lot of talent—if you’re not willing to show up early to rehearsals and call times, contribute to a healthy work environment, and be responsible for delivering the highest quality work, people won’t want to work with you, and doors will gradually start to close.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
My name is Jimena Bustamante, I’m 21 years old and a professional dancer from Mexico City. I’m currently on my first world tour with reggaetón artist Nicky Jam. I’ve known I wanted to be a dancer since I was 11 years old. I didn’t know exactly how I was going to make it happen, but every time I went to class, I did it with the purpose of getting closer to becoming a professional.
Throughout my career, I’ve danced in TV commercials for brands like Bimbo, Uber, and CNN. I’ve performed in award shows like the Kid’s Choice Awards and the MTV MIAW Awards. I’ve been featured in music videos including Atari by Danna Paola, Kintsugi by Humbe, Pretty Ugly by Zara Larsson, and many more. I’ve worked with Disney Pixar on the live show Coco: A Festival to Remember, and I appear on Disney+ in the documentary Childstar with Danna Paola. I did my first tour in Mexico with Fede Vigevani, then toured Latin America, the U.S., and Mexico with Danna Paola, and now I’m proud to be on my first world tour.
I truly love my job with all my heart. Even though many see this industry as difficult—especially in Mexico—I’ve been fortunate to keep growing and now have the chance to perform on stages around the world.
Outside of dance, I’m a pretty shy and reserved person. But what I love most about my work is that I get to transform into someone else when I step on stage. Dance lets me express my essence, become a character, and connect with audiences. It has also given me the incredible gift of traveling to beautiful places and meeting amazing people along the way
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The first key quality is the ability to set clear short- and medium-term goals. Something that has really worked for me in this industry is being specific about the kind of jobs I want to do. I look for the choreographers or dancers who are working on those projects, train in their classes, study the styles they specialize in, reach out to them, and create a step-by-step plan to eventually be part of that project.
The second is resilience. This is a career where you’re likely to hear a lot of ‘no’s before you get a ‘yes.’ Learning to take rejection as redirection is essential—use it to figure out what you need to improve. It’s also important to understand that sometimes you don’t get chosen for reasons beyond your control, like your look or height, and it doesn’t reflect your talent or potential.
The third is the ability to build your own brand as a dancer and find what sets you apart—whether it’s your look, your style, or the energy you bring. Identifying what you uniquely offer and leaning into that can make a huge difference in standing out in such a competitive field
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
One thing I do to protect my mental health is to maintain a routine that stays consistent even in the middle of constant change. Right now, I’m in a stage of my life where I’m traveling a lot, spending a lot of time away from home, and starting to build my name in the international dance industry—so there are a lot of changes and new stimuli around me. But prioritizing sleep, staying hydrated, and sticking to rituals like meditation, yoga, journaling, and my workout routine brings me peace and keeps me grounded.
Another thing that really helps is reconnecting with dance outside of the industry—whether that means dancing with people who may not be professionals but truly love to dance, creating just for myself, or supporting dancers who are just starting out by sharing what’s worked for me. That kind of connection reminds me why I fell in love with this art in the first place
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.instagram.com/jime.bo?igsh=ZG01dDYwY2VrY2Vp&utm_source=qr
- Instagram: @jime.bo
Image Credits
@delfor_freire on Instagram for the first photo
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