Nadia – August-September 2019

All she

wants to

do is

dance

Discoveringa passionforcontemporary

dancewasa careerturningpoint

forthedirectorofchoreographyfor

Wellington’sWorldofWearable Art

hilealltheother
’90steenagerswere
obsessingoverTori
AmosorPearlJam,
SarahFoster-
Sproullwasmoreofa Tchaikovskyand
Pachelbelkindofgirl.“Ihada geeky
appreciationforclassicalmusic.I would
hangoutinmybedroomimagining
whatI wouldchoreograph,”shelaughs.
“Totallyonthedown-low,ofcourse– I
wasn’tlettinganyofmyfriendsknow!”
Sarahwasconsumedbyballet:the
music,themovement,thecostumes.
She’dbeenintroducedtodanceina
somewhatcircuitouswaythroughher
familyGPinruralOtago,whothought
thedisciplinemighthelpcureSarahof
her“knock-kneesandpigeontoes”.And
hundredsofhoursoflessonslater,Sarah
foundshewasrathergoodatit.
Nowanassured,outgoingand
assertive41-year-old,Sarahisa farcry
fromher“shy,awkwardandnervous”
teenageself,butstillverymuchinthe
gripofthosechildhoodpassions,which
haveblossomedintoanillustriouscareer.
Consideredoneofourforemost
contemporarychoreographers,sheis
thrilledtohavebeennamedDirectorof
ChoreographyfortheWorldofWearable
Art(WOW) spectacularinWellington
laterthisyear.Butherpathwaytosuccess
wasbynomeansa straightforwardone.
“Iwasneverquitetherightshapeto
bea ballerina,”shereveals.“Mybody
struggledwiththingslikehiprotations
andflexibility.I hadshort legs. And I also
loved to eat food...”

WORDS

Fiona Fraser

. PHOTOGRAPHY

Rebekah Robinson

.