Ernestine Hayes is originally from Kansas City, Missouri where her spark for dance was ignited from a young age after taking classes at Smith Sisters Dance Studio. Her passion was rekindled and increased after attending AileyCamp (a summer dance program sponsored by the Kansas City Friends of Alvin Aily) during junior high school. She later studied contemporary, jazz, and ballet at Paseo Academy of Fine & Performing Arts High School. Upon moving to Memphis, Tennessee her sophomore year, she attended Overton High School, participating in their CAPA dance program. Ernestine went on to minor in dance at the University of Tennessee at Martin (UTM), performing and choreographing with the UTM Dance Ensemble. From 2005-2010 she was a member of Project: Motion Dance Collective, a contemporary dance company that was based in Memphis. She then went on to dance with Hybrid Performance Group, a Hip-Hop/African fusion dance group from 2010-2014, performing at many local community events. Ernestine went on to pursue a degree in veterinary medicine at the University of Tennessee, receiving her doctorate in 2018.

Upon moving to Little Rock, Ernestine has been seeking a place to enjoy dance again and is glad to have discovered Doxa, thanks to her friend Amy Nelson, a fellow dance instructor who invited her to take an adult class at the studio. Ernestine truly enjoys dancing and is excited to teach hip-hop to the kids at Doxa.