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NICOLA WILLS
CHOREOGRAPHER + MOVEMENT DIRECTION
Australian and Belgian Citizen
Adelaide-born Nicola Wills began her professional dance career with the Queensland Ballet Professional Year Program in 2010–11 after winning a Silver Medal at the RAD Margot Fonteyn Awards. She moved to Europe in 2012, joining Dortmund Ballet, followed by Opera Ballet Vlaanderen (formerly Royal Ballet of Flanders) in 2013, where she enjoyed a 12-year career as a versatile performer.
During her career in Flanders, Nicola performed works by leading choreographers including William Forsythe, Crystal Pite, Akram Khan, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Jiří Kylián, Ohad Naharin, Pina Bausch, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Martha Graham, George Balanchine, Wayne McGregor and many others. Her training and performance practice spans Gaga, LEV Training, Countertechnique, Forsythe improvisation, Cunningham and Streamflow.
Nicola has also worked as a choreographic collaborative assistant to Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui on the films Girl (2016) and Radioactive (2018), and to Akram Khan on Lady Macbeth for Royal Danish Ballet (2025–26).
Since 2014, Nicola has created numerous works for Opera Ballet Vlaanderen’s Choreolab, alongside developing movement direction for film. Her choreography has been recognised internationally and her work has also been presented at venues and events including the Royal Opera House International Draft Works Festival, Despertares Mexico, the Joyce Theater, and other international dance galas.
2026/27 — Selected Commissions & Engagements
Choreography
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'Of my Blood' Origin Cultural Festival
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'The Ultimate Cure for Sadness' - Theater Koblenz
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'A Silhouette of Sound'- National Ballet du Sodre
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Guesting & Collaborative Work
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Movement Assistant to Akram Khan — Lady Macbeth, Royal Danish Ballet
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Choreographer/Guest Artist — Despertares International Ballet Gala, Mexico 2026
CHOREOGRAPHIC RECOGNITIONS
Orsolina 28 Call for Creation 2026 Fellowship
Ballet X Choreographic Fellowship 2024
37th Hannover Choreographic Competition semi-final (June 2023)
35th Hannover Choreographic Competition: Top 10
Recipient of the National Youth Ballet Hamburg Commission Prize.
Eleo Pomare–Glen Conner Choreographic Residency at Kennesaw State University
Ballet X 2021 Choreographic Fellowship Top 10
Dance Europe Critics Choice Awards: Gerard Davis 'New Name to Watch'
CHOREOGRAPHIC WORKS
*please click underlined texts to see video links
2026 - 'Of my Blood' - Origen Cultural Festival
2026 - 'The World was Made for Two' - Ballet Schwerin
2026 - 'Burning Moonlight' - Ways Training program Brussels
2026 - 'Extreme States of Being' - Orsolina28 Call for Creation
2025 - 'Take the Bullets Out Yourself' - Royal Conservatoire of Dance Madrid Mariemma
2025- 'Fiction' - Origen Cultural Festival, Switzerland
2025- 'Walk on By' - the National Ballet of Albania
2025- 'Birds of a Feather' - Royal Ballet School of Antwerp Graduation Gala
2025- 'Leave Me to My Pleasures' - created on Nancy Osbaldeston and Joel Woellner of Zurich Ballet
2024- 'Two People in Love Never Shake Hands' - full piece created on Ballet X, Philadelphia, USA
2023- 'Somniloquy' - Created for the Gent Classical Music Festival, Nacht van de Verbeelding Program
2023- 'The Exist List' - Created for the Kennesaw State University Double Exposure Program, Atlanta, USA
2023- 'Weil' - choreographed for the Hamburg Junior Ballet
2023 - 'Vier Muren' - premiered at the Ballet van Vlaanderen Chamber Movement program
2023 - 'Bodies in Space' - premiered Ballet van Vlaanderen Dag van de Dans Gala
2022 - 'Two People in Love Never Shake Hands' Premiered at the XXII Cita con la Danza Gala, Benicassim, Spain.
2021 - 'Familiar' Film
2020 - 'The Glass Ceiling' Premiered Ballet Vlaanderen Choreolab program
2019 - 'The Vital Escape Up' Film
2018 - 'A System Flaw' Premiered Ballet Vlaanderen Choreolab program
2017 - 'Captain of the Clearing' Premiered Ballet Vlaanderen Choreloab program
2016 - 'Across the Line" Premiered Ballet Vlaanderen Choreloab program
2014 - 'Ambivalent Wonderland' Premiered Ballet Vlaanderen Choreloab program
*underlined titles are with vimeo links
CHOREOGRAPHIC WORKSHOPS AND TEACHING EXPERIENCE:
- Opera Ballet Vlaanderen (Company ballet class)
- Royal Danish Ballet (Company ballet class)
- Diana Vishneva context studios St-Petersburg (Sidi Larbi Cherkoui repertoire)
- Royal Danish Ballet School (Akram Khan Repertoire)
- International Dance Course Antwerp Summer Program (Akram Khan Repertoire)
- Queensland Ballet's Pre-Professional Program
- Brussels International Ballet School
- Lyon International Ballet School
- Victorian College of the Arts
- Danspunt Belgium