ELLA Havelka's journey from her home in Dubbo with her mother Janna, through to performing on the international stage with Bangarra Dance and now the Australian Ballet, is indeed a fairytale.
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At Orange on Wednesday part of that fairytale was filmed for a feature documentary when Ms Havelka, the first Indigenous dancer to be accepted into the Australian Ballet, came to Orange to meet up with her first dance teacher Suzanne Duffy.
"It's lovely to be here again with Suzanne," Ms Havelka said.
It was Mrs Duffy who recognised the talent and the dedication of the then eight-year-old who made an instant impression on her teacher.
"From her first lesson I was impressed with her discipline and her focus," Mrs Duffy said.
"She had a lovely presence and was always quietly confident - a delight to teach and very responsive."
Ms Halvelka's mother said a start in ballet came after her daughter had learned physical culture and tried several sports.
"But it was ballet she really loved," the mother said.
"Suzanne and her husband Damian have been incredibly supportive along the way, as have family and friends.
"I remember Suzanne telling me she was putting Ella in the eisteddfod and she found her a tutu and sewed on extra trim for her - I didn't even know what an eisteddfod was."
Mrs Duffy said it had been wonderful to watch her former pupil's progress, first auditioning successfully for a regional Australian Ballet program, being named Dubbo's 2014 DREAM artist of the year, and now offered a place in the Australian Ballet School.
"After three years with Bangarra Dance, Ella caught the eye of the artistic director of the Australian Ballet, David McAllister, and she was invited to join the company. It's wonderful," Mrs Duffy said.
Indigenous film-maker Douglas Watkin, along with a crew from Wildbear Entertainment, filmed part of a feature documentary on Ms Havelka's dance journey in the studio owned by her former teacher.
