Madonna Tribe meets Steve Nestar

Madonna Tribe meets another talented artist who teamed up with Madonna on the promo tour for her 2005 studio album, during the Confessions Tour in 2006 and again in 2007 for the Live Earth concert at the Wembley Stadium.
Fourteen years of dance training and a jazz degree at the International Dance Academy in Paris are only the tip of the iceberg of the skills of the amazing Steve Nestar, the versatile dancer and choreographer performing exciting mixtures of salsa, break dance, jacking, hip hop, jazz and tap, who can easily switch from a movie like Le Défi - written and directed by Blanca Li - to commercials, fashion shows, and of course... working hard on stage with Madonna.

MadonnaTribe: Welcome to MadonnaTribe, Steve.
You are known to Madonna fans for performing with her during the promo tour and the videoclips for the Confessions On A Dance Floor album, the Confessions Tour and at the Coachella and Live Earth shows, but when did you start your career as a dancer?

Steve Nestar: In 1998 I guess...

MT: Was that the time when you had the first big break in show business?

SN: Yes, at the opening of the FIFA World Cup in 1998. And then a movie in 2000 called Le Défi (The Challenge) in France...

MT: Let's talk about working with Madonna, how did it start? Did you have to audition for her?

SN: Yes, I did the audition in London for her first video, Hung Up, with 500 other dancers there... and then she kept me for the first date of the promo tour, which was in Portugal for the MTV Europe Music Awards.

MT: Yeah, the show in Lisbon was fantastic! How was working on the set of the Hung Up video?

SN: Well, I was a bit nervous during rehearsals, 'cause as u can see on the video, I was supposed to bend over, having her in my arms... and you know, well that's "Madonna you know"!... (laughs) But I did good!... no worries...!

MT: When the Confessions album was launched you also took part to the famous appearances at Koko club, G-A-Y, at the Studio Coast in Japan and later on at the Coachella Valley Festival. What do you remember about each of those intimate gigs?

SN: Well, Koko was ok, but G-A-Y was definitly crazy, 'cause gay people were alwayz cheering up the all show (crazy screams!)... and Coachella was cool.. but it was very hoooot in there! I swear... I was dying on stage!

MT: Those gigs and especially Coachella anticipated in choreography and mood part of the Confessions Tour.
How was the work behind the scenes of the tour?

SN: Pretty tough sometimes... depending on what song we were rehearsing... but it was ok... we got used to it after a few weeks... it's just a timing to catch... and a vibe too.
Iit was very different than the promo tour, but we did good... and most of all, she was satisfied of our job and that was the most important I think... right?!

MT: Eh eh, yeah I think so...
We have been told that rehearsals for the Confessions tour were very demanding, even phisically. When the show hit the road you could not make a few dates because of an injured shoulder but you recovered fast. I just wanted to ask if everything went ok and how did it feel to see a few shows from the point of view of the audience?

SN: Well, that was hard for me to not doing it... plus Madonna really needed me on the show... from what the specialists said to her - about my shoulder - it could have taken three weeks, maybe more, to recover... she couldn't accept that... that's why I flew back with her in her private jet to New York after the show in Boston to go and see a specialist and recover in a week... being treated by her own chiropractor and massage girl "Michelle"... so that's why I recovered very quickly... and I was back for New York too... I was sollicited 'cause I was almost the swing person for everyone just in case... I even did "Jump" with the free runners for three weeks in the U.S... .damn!... that was tough sometimes...! (laughs).

MT: At the European dates of the show you appear on stage during Forbidden Love with symbols painted on your chest. Is that idea something that came up later in the show running? It wasn't part of the show in the North American leg...

SN: Nope it wasn't... That idea came from Madonna... she had it for London... since then we ran that number of the show with the painting on the chest.
The symbols were the "Star of David" - the Jewish sign - and Normann had the "Crescent Moon" - the symbol of Islam... we were supposed to represent those two religions who oppose each other in Palestine....

MT: I remember seeing you ofter walking around the Bercy arena in Paris before the shows there and all the fans approaching you and asking for pictures and authograps. How do you deal with fans? And what do you think about Madonna fans - do you think they are different in the various countries?

SN: Well in Bercy I was there waiting for my family 'cause I'm French... let's not forget that right?! (laughs).
But the Madonna fans are almost the same everywhere, you know, but with different views on her sometimes... and they can be really cool... and talk about anything... or really focused on her and questioning me about her - you know... the usual thing they do! when they see any of us outside the venue... but they're cool people anyway!

MT: What's your favourite moment of the Confessions Tour - and what are your memories from the stage?

SN: I would say the Confessions of Cloud, Sofia and Hypnosis... was really dope... 'cause it was real - you know what I'm saying?! - and they practise really hard for that too, if I have good memory!

MT: And what was the most fun moment?

SN: Well... Sorry is funny ...'cause sometimes we were acting goofy... or Hung Up - that was a lot of fun too... because we were really close from the crowd too!....
The Sorry Remix... when we used to encourage "Charm" and "Hypno"... while they're performing....
Well a lot of fun I'd say, all along the show!

MT: Did you bond with some of the Confessions Tour dancers and do you happen to hang out with them?

SN: Yes! Normann of course but also Cloud, Jason, Mihran, Hypnosis... everyone on that tour! Even since the tour is over, I'm in keep and touch with everyone you know through the net and phone too!

MT: You recently appeared with Madonna again on Live Earth. How was it like, reuniting with the cast from the Confession Tour again? And what was your favourite moment from the Live Earth set?

SN: La Isla Bonita - the new version: it was fun to perform with Eugene and the rest of the crew... that was really funny... it reminded me of the tour!

MT: You are now working on a documentary called Deeper, can you tell us more about this interesting project?

SN: Well with my partner Mr. "Hardy Muanza". who is also the producer and director of this documentary, with me co-producing and co-directing too, we want to show to the whole world that being a dancer is not what people think it is... There is bads and goods you know!... and well by describing every type of dance who appeared those last 30 years... their evolutions.., then that break apart between dancers and dj's/mc's (in the middle of the 80's)...
Now we have two sides... the "underground scene" - dancers who perform on stage with their dance company or crew, in theatre... or doin what we call"battles" - and the "commercials" - dancers who work for the music industry constantly, Hollywood reign!, and the struggles too!

Well, we're just doing kinda report with this documentary, about what's goin on now with "dancing" in all aspects of the word itself!... and what's possibly next - the future of dancing? - maybe better or worst... changes?! Well you'll see the result when the documentary will be out... really soon!! I think it will be interesting to see the real truth about being a dancer/choreographer also!... Be ready...

MT: We usually close our interviews to dancers who have worked with Madonna asking what's their fondest memory of her...
So Steve, what's the fondest memory you have of working with Madonna?

SN: It's different than any other job that I've done in the past of course... but it's also a honor... not only be'cause she's Madonna ... but when she hired us... she didn't ask us to change a bit of what we were... she accepted us the way we were already with no conditions... and for what we could possibly bring of positive to her show... and trust me, there are not a lot of artists who do that...

She is really kind with any of us... but has her temper sometimes too... but hey! she's a human been too right!? But at least she's tryin' all the time to be nice with everyone...

And the more you know her the more you appreciate to be her friend... and she gives it back to you... makes you feel... like you are accepted in her small circle of friends...
And I do understand why you are fans of Madonna... 'Cause she is one of those persons who keeps it real!... no bullshit, no blabla... She's always straight with everyone... and today it's hard to find celebrities of her kind...
If I wasn't one of her dancers - and I knew what I know about her, now that i know her personnally... I would probably be a fan of her person and mentality, I think...

So keep supporting her... 'cause the world needs more women like her...and men even more!! Ahah!!... Peace... Respect... and wisdom to make the right choices in your life... that's all you need.!!! ell and a couple of other things to... but let's say that's the foundations here... (laughs).

MT: That's very cool Steve, thanks for sharing this with our readers!

SN: Ure welcome!!!... Peace!..

For more info about Deeper - The Documentary please check out the YouTube page by Club Des Millionnaires.

Images from the Confessions Tour by Madonna Tribe taken from the Confessions Rewind exhibition - All rights reserved.