Cape ballet dancer pirouettes her way onto the world's stage
Sarah-Lee Chapman has earned a coveted spot in a Germany ballet company
Sarah-Lee Chapman recalls dancing around the dinner table as a little girl. Her parents supported her interest and signed her up for dance classes.
At the age of 18, she decided to pursue a career as a professional ballet dancer. Her talent and dedication paid off and secured her a spot in the Cape Town City Ballet in 2012.
After four years of dancing there, Chapman felt confident enough to audition for Ballett im Revier, the company within the Musiktheater im Revier in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
"Auditions are always daunting and accompanied with nerves! You question your outfit choice and try to remember all the advice you were ever given," she says.
But her training gave her the confidence to nail it and she was offered a contract in March last year.
We caught up with the dancer in Germany and asked her ...
What advice would you give young dancers wanting to go to a foreign ballet company?
If at first you don't succeed, try again! Rejection is always a difficult thing to overcome, but there are many companies all over the world. You never know when an opportunity might present itself. If it's something your heart desires, keep working and don't be scared to take risks...
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