About Amelia…

Amelia Nelson is an artist, ballet teacher, and storyteller who was born and raised on the island of Maui, Hawaiʻi.

She grew up dancing ballet at the Alexander Academy of Performing Arts where her love of the performing arts continued to flourish. Amelia later studied at Ballet West and the University on Utah before heading to UCLA to earn her BA in acting. She was fortunate to build a career performing as a dancer, singer, and actor, traveling to audiences around the world.

Eventually, the call of home brought her back to Maui, where she has taught ballet at the Alexander Academy of Performing Arts since 2011. She now lives in Kula with her partner and their daughter, Freya.

Although Amelia has loved drawing and painting since childhood, art was always a personal passion rather than a profession. During the COVID-19 lockdown, she rediscovered painting as a creative outlet, eventually sharing and selling her artwork. Later, as she spent countless hours reading picture books with Freya, a new dream began to take shape. Inspired by her daughter’s love of stories, the Alexander Academy’s annual production of The Nutcracker, and the thought, “Maybe I could do this, too,” Amelia set out to write and illustrate her very first children’s book.

The Nutcracker is the first publication from Homelani Press, where Amelia hopes to create beautifully illustrated stories that celebrate imagination, family, and the performing arts for generations of young readers.