Ella Havelka. Photo by Andy Solo
On 5 October 2012 The Australian Ballet announced that Ella Havelka will become the first Indigenous dancer to join the company.
Currently a dancer with Bangarra Dance Theatre, Havelka will perform her final shows with the company in Brisbane this week. She will begin rehearsals with The Australian Ballet in Sydney in November.
Artistic Director David McAllister said of Havelka’s engagement, “We’re very excited that she will become part of The Australian Ballet family, and know that the ballet community will eagerly await her first performances with us.”
A descendant of the Wiradjuri people, Havelka graduated from The Australian Ballet School in 2007 and toured with the company’s regional arm, The Dancers Company. She joined Bangarra Dance Theatre in 2008.
Havelka said, “I feel very humbled and excited to be given this opportunity to return to the Ballet world with fresh eyes and new inspirations through my experiences since graduating from the Australian Ballet School.”