Ahead of our Three Short Ballets programme, we spoke with Principal Dancer Sarah Chun about her experience creating and revisiting her role in Mthuthuzeli November's Fools, for which she received an Olivier Award nomination in 2025.
Tell us a bit about your dance journey. How long have you been dancing with Northern Ballet and what is your background?
I joined Northern Ballet in 2016 as a corps dancer and have now danced with the company for 10 years. Time has really flown by! Before joining Northern Ballet, I trained at The Joffrey Ballet Academy in Chicago, where I am from, and then danced professionally with Oklahoma City Ballet & Kansas City Ballet.
You were part of the creation of Fools in 2024. What was it like working with choreographer Mthuthuzeli November and originating this role?
Working with Mthuthuzeli is a dream. He’s a choreographer that really has a clear vision and style, but also allows you to really input your artistic mark into his work. I feel very fortunate to have been a part of making the role of Zuziwe in Fools come alive.
Are you excited to be revisiting the role of Zuziwe?
Yes! Normally, the full-length classic productions tend to come back often. So, to have a work like Fools that is one of kind and incredibly special to come back is extremely exciting.
Fools is inspired by R.L. Peteni's South African novel Hill of Fools and William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, which you have also performed with Northern Ballet before. Do you take inspiration from your experience dancing in Romeo & Juliet? Are the roles similar or different?
Both stories have some common factors, being based on forbidden love and two rival groups, but I find the roles of Juliet & Zuziwe to be very different.
The star-crossed lovers trope, famously depicted in Romeo & Juliet and also in Fools, is one of the most-loved literary tools. Why do you think audiences resonate with these tragic love stories?
I think the audience resonates with the deep emotions and connections that these characters have. Their love is so powerful that they are willing to overcome any obstacle, which also makes the ending very emotional.
Mthuthuzeli November is known for his signature blend of dance styles. Is dancing in Fools different from the other works in Three Short Ballets? Is there anything that's particularly challenging or enjoyable?
Yes, dancing Fools is very different to anything else in the Three Short Ballets programme as the style, music, and atmosphere are distinctive. Fools is quite challenging for all the artists in the piece. Mthuthuzeli’s work requires a physicality, high energy, and total freedom which makes it highly demanding but very enjoyable.
The story of Fools is highly passionate and dramatic. How do you prepare to embody your role before a performance?
For me, personally, Fools requires total presence to fully embody the role. In the upcoming Three Short Ballets programme, I will have just finished performing another piece before Fools, so my preparation requires me to calm down from the piece I just danced, go into the ritualistic routine of changing costumes, makeup and hair, rehydrate, and have an internal moment of silence before I step back on stage for Fools.
You were nominated for an Olivier Award in 2025 for Outstanding Achievement in Dance for your role in Fools. How was that experience?
It was quite surreal. I never once thought to follow my passion for dance for the recognition or praise. I dreamed of dancing because I genuinely just loved it. When I perform, I hope that I can make an impact on at least one person in the audience; whether it’s to give them a reason to come back to the theatre or just make their day a little extra special. So, to have been recognised on a major scale by the Olivier Awards, for following my passion, is something I’ll never forget and I’ll be forever thankful.
Don't miss your chance to see Fools as part of Three Short Ballets, touring to Leeds and London this autumn.
Photos by Emily Spencer.
