“Ella Dobler is an eight year old girl who dances at a studio in Florida called New Level Dance Company.
Ella has been dancing since she was four. Her debut was at the Rainbow National Dance Competition in 2016, when she was just four. She won first place for her performance. Since then, she has gone on to appear in more venues and win more awards.
At that first Rainbow Competition, Ella won first place for Age 8 and Under Starz of Tomorrow. The same year, she won first place for recreational petite solo at the World Class Talent competition. By then, Ella was a rising star in the dance world and was on her way to even greater things.
In 2017, Ella won six awards in six different competitions. It seemed that wherever she went, people took notice. Her talent, skill, and dedication to the craft are all exemplary for such a young person. Onstage, she has the composure and grace of a much more seasoned performer.
In addition to her awards, Ella won three titles at the Diamond competition in 2017. In 2018, she won an award for a duet she performed called Corner of Your Heart at the JUMP competition in Miami. Whether alone or with a partner, Ella knows how to command the attention and respect of a crowd.
In this video, from the 2018 Dance Awards, Ella delivers a stunning solo performance to the song The Quality of Mercy, by Max Richter. The song features complimentary stringed instruments, with one repeating a somber progression while the other one underscores and emphasizes the lead.
The song also uses silence in some places to evoke a sense of the divine and of mystery. The Quality of Mercy is a complex song and an unusual choice for a young dancer like Ella. Typically, people associate youth dance with exuberance and energy.
Ella clearly shows she is up to the challenge of this mature song and its solemn air. Her movements are fluid, and she often pauses in place briefly, as if acknowledging the seriousness of the music and her own performance. It is a breathtaking performance that keeps the crowd enchanted throughout Ella’s dance.
Towards the end of the video, Ella executes a brilliant move where she spins across the stage after a series of high kicks. During the spin, Ella deliberately falls to the floor and rolls over on her back, flipping over to a kneeling position with her hands in the air. She remains kneeling until the very end of her dance. It is as if she is pleading for help, while kneeling in deference to something greater at the same time.
Ella Dobler has already won over a dozen awards, and the 8 year old is just getting started. It will be interesting to see where her career takes her. She seems like the kind of performer who will do things her own way, bucking expectations and building intrigue through her iconic style.”
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