Stela Dara Resendre Albuquerque and Ella Williams (L-R)
Toi Pōneke Arts Centre are pleased to announce that choreographers Stela Dara Resendre Albuquerque and Ella Williams have been awarded the 2025 Dance Development Residency.
Stela and Ella will be working on a duet together that they will present at Kia Mau Festival from the 5 -7th June.
Stela Dara Resende Albuquerque is a Brazilian-born freelancer. Trained in contemporary dance and dipping into street styles and capoeira, she aims to create safe spaces for collaboration and expression, reflecting her multicultural identity in her choreography.
Stela is the founder of Andança Company and the creative director of the award-winning Show do Café, which is touring in 2024 and 2025. She has also received the Fringe and Wellington Theatre Award for "Most Promising Upcoming Artist."
Her performance credits include collaborations with Java Dance Theatre, Le Moana Dance Company, Tupua Tigafua, Malia Johnson, Eliza Sanders, World of Wearable Art, Caio Silva, and others.
Ella Williams is a professional dancer, born of Canadian, Trinidadian and Pakeha NZ descent. currently working in Te Whanganui a Tara, Aotearoa. She has successfully managed to be a full-time artist and hopes to continue to share her passion in dance.
She is interested in exploring different worlds through dance and using dance as a way to create space for thought and change.
For her, dance is a form of connection with the community, a connection to the world through creating and performing as an act of liberation and a connection to ancestors and her history.
Ella Williams works with companies such as Andanca, Java Dance Theatre, Movement of the Human and Manubrium Circus. She has performed in shows such as: ‘Show Do Cafe’ for the Measina Lab 2023, Fringe Festival 2024 and at Hamilton Arts Festival, 2025. ‘Torua’, Festival of Colour, Te Komititianga, Auckland live 2025. ‘Movement Jazz’ at Circus in your square 2023 with Manubrium Circus Theatre. As well as working with Java Dance Theatre since 2018 on, Secrets in Your Streets, Back of the Bus, Creamery, Cheese, Treat, Chocolate and Home of the Gods.
Ella studied at New Zealand School of Dance (NZSD) during 2015 - 2017 and received both a certificate in dance and a diploma in dance.
Stela and Ella will be in residence at Toi Pōneke Arts Centre from 5 May to 8 June 2025.
Stela Dara and Ella Williams in Show Do Cafe
Stela Dara and Ella Williams with work in development for Kia Mau Festival.
Ella Williams and Stela Dara in Show Do Cafe