Ella Havelka facts for kids

Ella Havelka, born in 1989, is a talented Australian ballet dancer. She made history as the first Indigenous person to join The Australian Ballet. This is a very important achievement in the world of dance.

Early Life and Dance Dreams

Ella Havelka was born in Dubbo, New South Wales, Australia. Her family comes from the Wiradjuri people, an Indigenous Australian group. She grew up with her mother.

Ella started ballet classes at a local studio. She was inspired after watching a video of the famous ballet Swan Lake. When she was 15, Ella and her mother moved to Melbourne. This allowed her to train at the special Australian Ballet School. She finished her training there in 2007.

A Career in Dance

After finishing ballet school, Ella did not immediately join The Australian Ballet. Instead, in 2009, she joined Bangarra Dance Theatre. This is an amazing Indigenous Australian dance company. They perform contemporary dance, which is a modern style of dance.

Ella made her first performance with Bangarra in a show called Fire – A Retrospective. She continued to dance in many other shows with the company.

Dancing with Two Companies

In 2012, Ella performed in a special show called Warumuk – in the dark night. This show was created by Stephen Page. It was a collaboration between Bangarra and The Australian Ballet. They performed it to celebrate The Australian Ballet's 50th birthday.

The next year, something wonderful happened. The artistic director, David McAllister, invited Ella to join The Australian Ballet. This made her the first Indigenous person ever to join the company. In 2019, she returned to Bangarra as a guest dancer. This was for their 30th anniversary celebration.

Beyond the Stage

Ella Havelka's story was even made into a documentary film! The movie is simply called Ella. It was shown for the first time at the Melbourne International Film Festival in 2016.

In 2018, Ella visited Nouméa, New Caledonia. This trip was arranged by the Australian Consulate-General. She was there for NAIDOC Week. This is a special week that celebrates the history and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Outside of her dancing, Ella has other creative talents. She learned weaving when she needed to weave her own mat for a dance show. Later, she started making and selling beautiful Aboriginal woven baskets. She used the money she earned to help Oxfam Australia, a charity that fights poverty. Ella also enjoys making jewellery and linocut prints.

Awards and Recognition

Ella Havelka has received awards for her amazing talent. In 2013, she won the Deadly Award for dancer of the year. She also won the Women of Style Award in 2017. These awards show how much her hard work and talent are appreciated.