Ella Grace Pollard | Spring Ridge Elementary | Age 10
As an infant, Ella Pollard quickly learned sign language from her mother so she could have a form of communication prior to her ability to speak, setting the tone that she wasn’t going to be your average child.
Once it was clear that Ella was grasping things quickly as a toddler, her parents felt it was important to introduce her to different things she might enjoy, and eventually excel in. At the age of 5, she began dancing at The Dancer’s Edge studio under the instruction of Beth Gilbert, and studio owner Traci Stiles, where she was introduced to a variety of different classes. Within a year, Ella began to dance competitively in a variety of categories such as Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Hip Hop, and Musical Theater.
At the age of 9, Ella began to compete at a high level, taking home four first-place trophies at the 2014 Showstopper Dance Competition held in Omaha. After the Showstopper competition, she traveled to Branson Missouri to the Midwest National Dance Finals where she represented The Dancer’s Edge, competing in a number of categories, taking home three first place trophies, also receiving the Judge’s “Best Entertainer” awarded for her Jazz solo performance.
In February of this year, Ella performed at the “Starpower” Dance Competition held at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa where she received first place finishes in Musical Theater, Hip Hop, Jazz, Lyrical, and first place for her Jazz Solo.
Ella also loves music, and has been playing the violin with the Omaha Conservatory of Music since the age of 5. She is involved with the Frontier Strings Ensemble, which is a tour group of violinists and violists ranging in age from 9-18 years old. Ella is also involved for her second year in the Omaha Area Youth Orchestra, which will be performing their spring concert on March 1st at the Joslyn Art Museum.
When not performing or practicing, Ella enjoys reading, hanging out with her friends, watching movies, tumbling, and making music videos as well. Her favorite musical artists are Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars. Ella has also participated in ringing the bells for the Salvation Army and Operation Christmas Child which is a Christian organization that provides children from Third World Countries to share the Good News of Christ and the meaning of Christmas.
Ella is the daughter of Ken Pollard, and Denise Pollard of Elkhorn, and has a younger brother Grant who is 6, and a Kindergartner at Spring Ridge Elementary.
