Ballet Teacher Amelia Waller
Principal ballerina Amelia Waller teaches at Industry Dance Studio in Tweed Heads.
Our beautiful ballet teacher Amelia Waller is a former principal with The Queensland Ballet Company—a true star! We’re so happy and honoured to welcome such an incredible dancer to our Industry family.
While Amelia no longer performs professionally—her days are full teaching fulltime—she still radiates a certain something mentor Francois Klaus recognized and encouraged when she was starting out.
Graceful and passionate, Amelia’s love of dance remains as strong as ever, influencing her teaching and the growing numbers of devoted students attending her popular classes.
“I am finding my own way of passing on knowledge and seeing the younger ones progress is very satisfying,” she says, modestly.
Amelia’s list of principal roles is long. The first was as Guinevere in The Queensland Ballet Company’s performance of King Arthur. She was principal in Carmen, The Little Mermaid and Stella in Streetcar Named Desire. Her soloist roles were featured in Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker.
“Whether you are doing a big role or a corps de ballet they are all so challenging,” she says.
Being accepted into the Queensland Ballet was a day Amelia will never forget.
“I was so happy Francois Klaus saw something special in me and always encouraged my individual qualities,” she says.
“I remember seeing the Sydney Dance Company when they toured Bendigo, the country town where I lived, and from that moment I was determined to make my dream of a being a dancer a reality.”
No one knows more than Amelia that ballet dancing is hard work: not just physically, but mentally.
Amelia was accepted into the Victorian College of the Arts, despite being told she would never make it as a dancer due to a “lack of facility”.
Regardless of this setback, she still went to dance school.
“It was the best decision I ever made. I moved out of home when I was 13 and kept going with the amazing support of my parents.”
Her advice to those keen to pursue a career in dancing is to be open to the journey.
“There are many highs and lows in this career and you have to be strong to deal with everything that comes your way,” she says.
“To be a professional you have to be extremely passionate about the art of dance. Students can become preoccupied with mastering the tricks but for me it’s more important to master artistry and have the ability to tell a story in an authentic way.”
She urges her students to listen.
“Listen to your teachers. Listening is your most important tool – it helps you learn,” she says.
“Industry students are a lovely bunch. The atmosphere here is always really great as the girls are friends and are super-supportive of each other. I have enjoyed watching them all progress and be open to new ways of approaching dance and their individual technique.”
Our amazing Amelia hopes to instill even more focus and passion in every class.
“I hope I can teach you all that dance is more than just exercises. Everything we do has a purpose and is ultimately leading to the moment when you are playing a role in a ballet and telling a story.
“It’s important for students to remember corrections from previous weeks so we can implement new corrections rather than repeating the same ones each time. I would like students to think about what they want to achieve at each lesson.”
When Amelia isn’t teaching dance you’ll be likely to find her enjoying the beach, her friendships, live music and making dance films. If she hadn’t pursued a career as a dancer she says she would have considered making documentaries, or being involved in making films about dance.
