ABOUT

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Ella Watson-Heath is an Australian dance artist based on Gadigal land in Sydney, whose practice moves fluidly between performance, choreography, mentorship, and advocacy. 

A graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), Ella has performed nationally and internationally across stages, festivals, and unconventional spaces. She has worked extensively with Dance Makers Collective, appearing in The Rivoli (Syd Fest '20), In Situ (Syd Fest '21), Big Dance 2.0, Saturday Social and All In (Syd Fest '25). Her collaborations extend to artists including Alice Weber, Michele Rizzo and Natalie Allen, with performances at Perth Festival, Dancehouse, and STRUT Dance.

Practice

Ella’s process often integrates improvisation, digital interfaces, and site-responsive exploration, grounded in a belief that dance can both reflect and reshape collective experience.

Recent creative works include STILL FALL (Sydney Fringe Festival / The Lab @ UNSW, 2025) and Echoes (Dance Makers Collective, 2024), alongside creative associate and mentorship roles such as WAAPA’s Verge Season 2024 and Dance Makers Collective’s Future Makers program.

She has facilitated workshops and youth programs through Dance Makers Collective, STEPS Youth Dance Company, and NAISDA Dance College, and continues to support emerging artists through mentorship and education.

Governance & Advocacy

Beyond performance, Ella is a committed advocate for equity and sustainability in the arts. She currently serves on the Create NSW Dance & Physical Theatre Artform Board and the MEAA Dancers Australia National Committee, MEAA National Performers Committee and Federal Council, representing the voices of independent dance artists at both state and national levels.

In 2025, she was appointed as an inaugural member of the NSW Government’s Creative Youth Network, contributing to strategies for youth engagement and creative industry development. Her governance work reflects her belief that artistic practice and cultural policy are inseparable — each shaping the other.

Training

Ella trained in classical ballet under Michelle Madlener before completing a Bachelor of Arts (Dance) at WAAPA, including a semester exchange at SUNY Purchase (New York). She has been a member of Dance Makers Collective’s Future Makers youth company (2019–2022) and a secondee with Shaun Parker & Company on Happy as Larry and The Yard.

Current & Upcoming

In 2026, Ella will embark on an Australian national tour of All In with Dance Makers Collective while developing new collaborative projects that blend movement, digital media, and storytelling. She lectures in Contemporary Release and Choreographic Process at NAISDA Dance College, and her latest work STILL FALL will premiere internationally at South East Dance, Brighton (UK). 

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