On Monday night Channel Ten television audiences watched as she was cut from the So You Think You Can Dance competition after making it through to the final 50 of about 3500 dancers all vying for the title of Australia’s favourite dancer.

Ms Havelka, who studied at Dubbo Ballet Studio before being accepted into the Australian Ballet School in Melbourne, shocked some admirers of her classical finesse by entering the contest requiring abundant versatility and determination.

Undeterred she set about proving a point.

“I was coming to the end of my training and was looking for more doors to open,” she told the Daily Liberal.

Initial auditions for the Melbourne leg of So You Think You Can Dance saw Ms Havelka asked to dance to choreography by judge Matt Lee.

“It was a bit of a challenge because it was hip-hop and out of my field,” said the ballerina.

“I didn’t think I’d get through but they must have seen something.”

Sent through to the Sydney dance-off of the top 100 contestants from across Australia, she discovered that “reality TV is kind of staged”.

“The producers set it up so things happen on cue,” Ms Havelka said.

“The cameras were everywhere and you had to be on your toes all the time.”

Nevertheless, she regards the experience as positive and hopes it will help in some way the search for a place in a ballet or contemporary company in Australia or overseas.

Recently she auditioned for a prestigious Dutch company that handed out two contracts after auditioning 300 dancers.

Ms Havelka made it to the final 15, another achievement encouraging her to chase a long-held dream of being a professional dancer.

“All I can do is keep trying,” she said.

Ms Havelka wasn’t the only Dubbo dancer who excelled in the television contest.

Jamie Astley made it through to the top 100 and was cut just hours before Ms Havelka.

Yesterday, in between teaching dance at a Sydney school, Ms Astley concurred that her involvement in the show had been a “really positive experience”.

“I got to make new friends and try different styles of dance like ballroom and crumping,” she said.

“It was great to have the opportunity to have a go at these styles.”

Ms Astley loves So You Think You Can Dance for lifting the profile of dance in Australia, which could lead to more work opportunities opening up.

“Another bonus was catching up with Ella,” she said.

So You Think You Can Dance continues next Sunday with the top 20 dancers at the mercy of the judges and the Australian public.