Ella Havelka

The Creative Director of Eco Dancers and The Director of The ELLA Foundation, Ella Havelka was the first Aboriginal Dancer to be selected to join the Australian Ballet Company. Born in Dubbo and a descendant of the Wiradjuri people, Ella and her mother Janna, moved to Melbourne when she was accepted into the Australian Ballet School at just 15 years of age. 

After graduating from the school, Ella first appeared with Bangarra Dance Theatre in their 20th Anniversary season 'Fire - A Retrospective' (2009).  In 2013, Ella became the first Aboriginal Ballet dancer to dance with the Australian Ballet. Ella was the subject of the documentary film ELLA, which premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival in 2016. Ella toured internationally with both Bangarra Dance Theatre and The Australian Ballet performing on stages in London, New York, LA, Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai, Mongolia, Germany, Italy and Switzerland. Ella leapt back into the Bangarra world to guest star in their 30th-anniversary program 30 Years of 65 Thousand (2019) 

Ella Choreographed Wilaygu Ngainybula (2019) for The Australian Ballet's Education and Outreach Team which was seen by hundreds of school kids nationwide during the 2020 Covid19 lockdowns. 

As a 2021 Atlantic Fellow for Social Equity, Ella is currently completing her Masters in Social Change Leadership through Melbourne University. During the second Melbourne lockdown, Ella founded The ELLA Foundation which aims to inspire and provide opportunities for First Australian youth to experience the joy of dance in all its many forms. 

Ella is an inspiration in the dance world, particularly with her dedication and work with First Australian youth. Her choreography has its own unique language and an innate connection to her heritage and this beautiful land. We are privileged to have Ella take part in our choreographic competition, lending a valuable perspective and voice to young choreographers are they strive to find their own form of creative expression.