Ella Havelka has joined The Australian Ballet as its first indigenous dancer, a descendant of the Wiradjuri people, and a graduate of The Australian Ballet School.
Currently a dancer with Bangarra Dance Theatre, Havelka will perform her final shows with the company in Brisbane this week. Havelka will begin rehearsals with The Australian Ballet in Sydney in November and says she feels "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".
The excitement radiating in the ballet community at the news has been somewhat dampened however as executive director, Valerie Wilder, has announced the end of her five year tenure, playing a major role in helping get major projects off the ground.
The Australian Ballet has also released its season for 2013, with performances of classic ballets, Don Quixote, La Sylphide and Cinderella, plus contemporary pieces with Vanguard and Bodytorque: Technique.
Performances for this year are still in season, with Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake and Icons set to dazzle audiences, Informative Talks and Q&A sessions that attempt to dissolve some of the mystery and celebrate its history, plus their 50 year anniversay Gala celebrations.
Tickets are on sale for the 2012 season now.
- Amy Robinson
