BELLA WILSON

Bella is an independent contemporary dancer, choreographer and teacher.
She grew up in Auckland, and trained at the Auckland Academy of Dance, where she
completed exams in the RAD Ballet, JDNZ Jazz and NZAMD Contemporary syllabuses to the
highest levels. In 2011, after achieving Distinction in her Level 6 Contemporary exam, she won
1st place at the NZAMD Scholarship Awards.
She then trained full-time at the New Zealand School of Dance as a contemporary major, and
graduated with a Certificate in Dance Performance in 2013. From 2015-16 Bella furthered her
dance training at Unitec, graduating with a Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts majoring in
Contemporary Dance. Bella received the Senior Scholar award at her graduation ceremony, in
recognition of achieving an overall A grade point average for her degree. As a tertiary student,
she was fortunate to work with some of New Zealand and Australia’s renowned choreographers,
including Malia Johnston, Claire O’Neil, Michael Parmenter, Okareka Dance Company, Antony
Hamilton, Lina Limosani and Richard Cilli.
She co-founded Dance Plant Collective in 2016, and has worked as both a dancer and
choreographer on every major project with the collective, including ‘Desire Line(s’), ‘The Cost of
Arms and Legs’, ‘MEAT’, 'Exist as a Rainforest', ‘Desperate Late Night Energy’, 'Entwined', 'Lite
Moves' and ‘STRUCTURE’. As a professional dancer, she has also danced for and collaborated
with Alexa Wilson (under Footnote NZ Dance), Natalie Maria Clark (Black Sheep Productions),
Claire O’Neil, Xavier Breed, Zoë Nicholson & Emma Cosgrave, Zahra Killeen-Chance and Kit
Reilly.
She is passionate about making topical dance works, and working with highly structured and
complex choreographic tasks to generate movement. Her recent choreographic achievements
include choreographing a short work for the re-opening of the Gus Fisher Gallery,
co-choreographing the well-received work Lite Moves for Luma Festival Queenstown 2019,
winning ‘Best Newcomer’ at the Auckland Fringe Awards 2018, for the double bill which
included her work Cha(order)os, and undertaking a ‘Making a Start’ choreographic residency at
Lucy Guerin Inc. (Melbourne), amongst many more.
Bella has a diverse teaching practice, and has taught contemporary, ballet, jazz, lyrical,
conditioning, improvisation and choreographic practice within dance studios, pre-professional
training programmes, high schools, professional companies and tertiary dance institutions
including Unitec Dance, The University of Auckland Dance Studies and Transit Dance
(Melbourne). She is a sought after guest teacher and contemporary dance coach, and has
worked with many students who have gone on to gain success at competitions and auditions
for associates and full-time dance courses. She has taught choreographic repertoire to the
International Baccalaureate students at Kristin School, and guest taught contemporary classes
at St Kentigern College. In 2019, Bella was the lecturer for the UoA Dance Studies’ 2nd year

choreography paper, and she created and delivered the Contemporary Pre-Professional
Programme at Fusion Dance Studio. In 2020, Bella teaches Ballet, Contemporary and Technique
Foundations at Unitec Dance (including delivering online classes to the Beijing Dance Academy
exchange students); Virtual Morning Movement, Open Contemporary and Feisty Feet (Seniors
Dance 65+) for The New Zealand Dance Company; NZAMD Contemporary syllabus and RAD
Ballet syllabus classes at Rowe Dance; NZAMD Contemporary syllabus, and Open Lyrical, Ballet,
Pointe and Contemporary classes at Bays School of Dance; Open Contemporary, Conditioning
and Solo Coaching at Classical Coaching Centre; and Barre Fitness classes at Barrefigure and
The Pilates Workshop. Bella is passionate about creating safe and positive learning
environments, and helping her students find freedom and connection through movement.