Lela Johnson, an Australian dancer from a small coastal town, has gained the title of “International Champion” twice. Not many people can claim to be an international dancing grand champion.
Since then, she has received numerous further awards for her exceptional dancing ability and has even been noticed by well-known European choreographers.
One hour north of Sydney, in a little coastal Australian village, Lela spent her childhood. According to her, it would appear to be in the middle of nowhere to the rest of the world, but for those fortunate enough to be a “Coastie,” as we like to call ourselves, it’s a secret best kept.
When she was just six years old, she had a love for dance and wished to learn how to tap dance. Her mother took her to a nearby dancing studio that provided instruction in a variety of dance styles. After that, she became addicted.
She was asked what she wanted to be when she grew up when she was just 10 years old. She subsequently realised that her dream was to work as a professional dancer.
She made a firm decision to pursue her professional dance goal at the age of 15, went on an audition at an Elite Dance Studio, and there she met her mentor.
She was initially identified by choreographer Jason Winters (So You Think You Can Dance, Cirque du Soleil, American Dance Awards) when she was chosen as his protege dancer out of hundreds of applicants for his contemporary work in the Dance Editorial Production, Love is Love.
Jason was ecstatic to discover a young person with such a powerful potential displaying such technique and movement quality.
With this show, Lela performed in Sydney and up Australia’s east coast, captivating audiences and solidifying her position in the performing arts field.
She later received a lead dancer role in the production of Arterial at Circfest Australia. This production, in collaboration with the international circus centre Tohu in Montreal, used a fusion of circus and dance as a vehicle for First Nations storytelling. It graced the stages of Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney and gained recognition throughout the world for the practise of communicating stories via dance.
Lela was chosen for the role due to her aptitude for movement interpretation and communication through dance.
Lela made a point of coordinating the dance with the story, building trust that would support its significance.
When Lela was chosen to be the Lead Dancer in the immensely popular Australian musical The Sunshine Club, she shifted her focus to a more joyful production. Lela was chosen to represent the next wave of performers in this revival play.
The story, which is post-war, serves as a reminder that laughter and music can help us overcome adversity and find the truth and a better life.
Lela was chosen to play the Australian native who led the dancing in this upbeat musical at The Sunshine Club’s ballroom.
Lela was choreographed into the performance for the nationwide tour, and the choreographer was inspired by her ability to take on the 1950s boathouse style of dance and produce a feel-good performance to impress audiences all over the country.
Lela was already well-known in the performing arts community by this point.
Lela went on to win two National and two International Dance Titles in back-to-back years, which has never been done before, solidifying her position as Australia’s greatest.
The national title for dancers all around Australia for 2019 was the Dancelife Australian Dance Awards.
Lela received the title of Grand National Champion Soloist 2019 with her lyrical solo performance “In Case You Don’t Live Forever,” which was created by her mentor and well-known choreographer Natalie Baker. Lela competed against over 25,000 dancers over the course of a year and won over multiple international judging panels.
Lela received a full scholarship to attend the Broadway Dance Centre in New York for her dance training.
Lela kept pushing herself and collaborated with top worldwide trainers and choreographers to masterfully switch between and polish various dance genres.
Among them are Jason Winters (So You Think You Can Dance, Cirque De Soleil, American Dance Awards), Marinda Davis (Marinspired NY & LA), Shannon Mather (Mather Dance Co., LA & World of Dance Choreographer), Krista Miller (The Space TV, LA), and Shannon Atkins (Broadway Dance Centre NY).
Lela has been able to pave her way to success thanks to her understanding of being elite in a variety of genres and her ability to use them for any performance demand.
She followed up her first national championship the following year with a second. Over 28,000 contestants from Australia and New Zealand competed in the 2020 Showcase Australian National Titles.
The search for Australia’s best dancer took the tour to 48 regional and state centres. Lela participated in the finals in Queensland after placing in the top 50.
The top 50 competitors were narrowed down to the top 10, top 5, and then the top 2 who appeared at the Nationals Gala. Lela received the award for Dancer of the Year 2020 and won it.
As Australia’s top dancer, Lela was then flown to the Asian World Titles in Bangkok, Thailand. With six outstanding solo routines in Broadway Jazz, Lyrical, and Contemporary, her versatility served her well.
She used her inventive technique of reading the crowd and giving a performance that was appropriate for the situation to give a formidable representation of her country.
She won the title of International Champion Soloist and successfully elevated the Australian dance scene to international prominence.
Lela was the first Australian to be offered a converted spot with Mather Dance Company LA as a bridge member under the artistic direction of Shannon Mather, a World of Dance USA Choreographic winner, from this point on. She was also offered international training opportunities with Marinspired Storytellers in New York under the direction of Marinda Davis.
She won her second international title at the World Dance Movement Titles in 2022 in Italy. Dancers from the US, Europe, and South Africa competed against Lela. Lela was a world-famous dancer by this point, and everyone watched her performances.
Her ascent through the ranks provided priceless insight into the modern dance world, which included interactions with other dancers, judges, and spectators.
Her talent opened the door for flawlessly executed pure brilliance content in each of her routines, moving them all towards a higher level of admiration.
The highest honour of Senior World Champion Soloist in Contemporary Dance was given to Lela.
She was discovered while travelling around Europe by acclaimed Italian choreographer Diego Orengo, who hired her as a Two70 Lead Dancer for his work on the Royal Caribbean International tour show “The Silk Road.”
This production includes performances from many different genres, including Bollywood, jazz, circus, lyrical, and modern, and it takes the audience on a journey along an ancient trade route.
Lela was the natural candidate for this position because to her adaptability and proficiency in many genres. For the past ten months, Lela has travelled extensively throughout Asia with this project.
Lela had her share of obstacles to overcome throughout her career, but her resolve to become a professional dancer never wavered.
She had a stress fracture in her wrist from her intensive training, which needed surgery.
Her ankle also started to bother her right before Nationals. She persevered despite this and eventually won the national championship, only to subsequently succumb to another stress fracture in her ankle and require more surgery.
Lela has persevered throughout the years because to a combination of work ethic and tenacity. “Work ethic, resolve, and drive are the pathways to success,” she argues.
Have self-confidence and faith in your ability. Realise your worth. Create your own route and follow your own rules.
Lela has accomplished a lot in her career already, but she has no intention of slowing down. She wants to share the joy of dance with people by dancing in performances all around the world and starting her own dance company in the future.
Lela Johnson, who has won two National Titles and two International Grand Championships, has emerged as one of the top dancers in the world. She still performs in worldwide productions now and is a highly sought-after talent in the business.
