5,6,7,8 Sabrina McCarthy!
Why Sabrina McCarthy Is Shining Bright and Staying True To Her Art
Internationally-recognized dancer, choreographer, and teacher Sabrina “SAB” McCarthy continues to push herself across all artistic avenues.
Originally from Queensland, Australia, McCarthy took the leap to the United Kingdom in 2022, where she has since been trailblazing the dance industry across the UK while building her brand, dreaming big dreams, and bringing authenticity to the forefront. It’s a constant for McCarthy, who has judged and choreographed many events all over the world for the last four years, including World of Dance Italy, Croatia, and London.
Her stacked resume also includes working with world-renowned artists 50 Cent, Bree Runway, and Ashnikko. In 2025, she performed as a lead dancer with Christina Aguilera at the Joy Awards, and performed in Candy Crush x Thundercat: Upside Down, the world’s first playable live-action music video.
Falling in love with the freedom of movement and music first as a child, McCarthy knew from a young age she would pursue dance as her life’s passion.
“As a kid, my parents would always play heaps of different music around the house— Motown, jazz, funk music, all of that stuff! They put me in dance, and I haven’t stopped since,” McCarthy told us in early February. “I knew that’s what I wanted to do, and that’s 24 years ago!”
McCarthy grew up studying all disciplines, but quickly gravitated towards hip hop from the start, embracing and immersing herself in its creativity and the seemingly endless possibilities for self-expression. “It was the freedom in it,” she said. “There’s obviously so much more freedom in expressing yourself through the different types of music within the hip hop bracket. The community vibe of it—connecting to people—was what I loved.”
She also recognized that venturing outside her home country and comfort zone would be necessary to create her persona on the dance floor on her own terms. “I never want to live life and say, ‘Oh, I could have tried that. Or, what if I did that?’ I think you should always just dive in and push yourself,” she said. “I definitely had to sacrifice a lot. I moved away from my family, and I missed out on a lot, but I’m very career-driven. I’m always trying to find what’s on the other side if I take a chance. That always excites me more.”
With discipline and drive, her career has now taken her around the world and back again—she estimated 115 flights alone in 2025—and shows no signs of stopping.
2026 is already fast and furious.
“I just got back from Australia, so I was at home working there. Now I’m teaching dance classes around Europe,” she said. “I’m also doing a little bit of work with some K-pop artists. I’m just doing different submissions for different artists. That’s the start of the year for me— very busy with all of that!”
Recognized as one of the most exciting rising artists of her generation, McCarthy has been nominated for Female Choreographer of the Year three years in a row at the UK Dance Awards. She is also a Lead Choreographer and Resident Educator at PLAYGROUND LONDON. Grateful to be part of the PLAYGROUND family, McCarthy has found inspiration from actor and world-renowned choreographer Kenny Wormald and the opportunities he’s created.
PLAYGROUND LONDON, founded by Pussycat Doll Creator Robin Antin and Wormald, is the first international location addition to the iconic dance institution. McCarthy’s love for the community there continues to drive her toward the goals she’s set as she looks ahead.
“He’s bridged a gap for a lot of us to work everywhere,” McCarthy said as she reflected on her career to date and everything she’d love to add to her resume going forward. “He’s bringing people over from Europe all the time to teach in London, and that’s a dream of theirs. For me, just being a teacher there, he’s opened up so much more work for me, an opportunity that I’m super grateful for.”
McCarthy mentioned Kanye’s “Through The Wire” as her current theme song, and her top tracks as “anything old Drake,” she said. “I listen to a lot of Drake. “Find Your Love” and “Come Thru” are my favorites. “Fashion Killa” by A$AP rocky, anything KWN…. They’re the top at the moment. I think they all evoke an inspiring feeling inside me that motivates me and always makes me feel good!”
Bright, inspiring, and so thoughtful throughout the conversation, here’s more of our chat from across the pond with Sabrina McCarthy, in her own words.
As you were finding your wings in the dance world, was it the process, the performance, being on stage in front of everybody—or was it just everything about dance that you loved?
Something that I love about dance is that you can never really be… there’s not really an ending with it. You’re never going to be the best—there’s no best in the world. There’s no final line. It’s a continual cycle of growth. You just keep growing. I have such a hunger for that. That’s the beauty of it—it’s limitless. There’s so much more of yourself you can always give and find. That excites me.
What do you believe was the benefit of taking that leap at a young age, and doing something that not everybody’s going to be brave enough to try?
I would say to anyone who’s thinking of that, that you should just do it. It’s character- building. It’s life experience. It’s so many things that you need to experience. You learn how to create a business, your brand. Moving away from home, your family, you’re only going to grow. Even if someone experiences it and they move and they don’t like it, or they don’t find that they’re doing the work that they want to do, that’s the worst thing that could happen. By then, you’ve grown through that process, and you’ve got so many new tools to learn about yourself for what’s next. I think it really pushes you.
You’re always going to get in a better position than if you stayed. I think fulfilling your own dreams is something that you really have to do. I would encourage it to anyone.
Traveling as much as you do and pursuing so many different projects across the industry in different countries, is there a big difference in the way you audition, the way you book projects?
I think in the UK, the stakes are a lot higher. It’s the best of the best. The biggest jobs that you want to do are right in front of your face. You’re standing in the room where you either hear ‘yes’ or ‘no’ from doing what you moved there to do. It’s really exciting for that reason, but also there can be a lot of pressure. Australia just doesn’t have the same scope for jobs as over here in the UK, so you’re just at its doorstep, which is why a lot of us move here. There’s a lot more opportunity here for sure.
You noted one of the things you love so much about hip hop was the freedom. How do you balance what a director wants, a choreographer wants, what a producer might want, but still express yourself authentically?
When I’m in those positions, I’m working under a choreographer or a creative director, I think it’s really about what it all comes down to in the rehearsal process, doing your thing and making sure that you shine. They’re always going to tell you what they want and what’s expected, and you have to listen to that.
I’ve been in experiences before, the camera test, and they decide that they don’t want a blonde girl standing next to the artist. Then you’re suddenly not in the shot. It is what it is, and you just have to take it for a pinch of salt. Just make sure you’re on your game, you’re giving a nice blend of what’s being done, but also sure of yourself as well. There’s a whole art to that.
With social media so central to booking jobs, how much time do you spend building your brand and thinking about that side of the industry?
All the time! It’s such a battle for me because I choreograph and teach, and then I’m also a dancer. I think if you’re just a dancer, it’s a lot more niche, and you can really target people. When you’re trying to do everything, it’s a lot more complex.
At the end of the day, the more in people’s face that you are, it’s that exposure theory— that the more people see you, the more they remember you, the more they’re going to use you for things. People really admire versatility. So the more you show of yourself, I think you don’t really have anything to lose. I know so many people around the world who are so talented that have 2,000 followers, and no one knows who they are, but they could be booking all these jobs, left, right, and center. But because they don’t put the time into [social media] things are harder for them. A lot of work comes from your Instagram alone.
When you are choreographing and teaching, what qualities are you looking for in your students?
People who are smart, smart dancers. Dancers who are super-aware of themselves. The thing I’m always trying to push to students is individuality and having that freedom, but also being disciplined, being smart, being able to adapt to and give whatever is being asked of you, respecting what class you’re in, but also shining as yourself as well. That’s what I try to encourage, because that’s how I try to train when I take class, too. Being myself when it’s needed, but also respecting my training and what I’m trying to learn from someone.
Looking ahead to the next year, the next two years, what does that look like for you? What are your goals, dream projects? What are you working towards?
I have so many! There’s specific artists that I want to work with as well. I definitely want to dance for Usher. I want to work with Kehlani. I want to choreograph for KWN.I really want to work with artists that align with how I move and things that are organic to me in the way that I express myself. I want to choreograph for a tour, and I want to go on another tour. A movie, and I want to do the next Super Bowl! So hopefully that happens. It’s going to happen!
If you were writing a letter to 7-year-old Sabrina, what would you tell her?
I think, which is contradictory to just the timing of life and how it unfolds as it should, but just go for some things earlier. I waited a little bit for what I already knew I wanted to be doing, but I think sometimes I would wait a little longer so that I didn’t step on any toes. Start doing what you know is right for you straight away, and not second-guessing that—really instilling that in myself—and just really going for things as soon as they come. Also, to not listen to people who tell you that you’re not going to do something because of X, Y, Z. I’ve done all the things I said I was going to do. I told you I would be here. Stay close to that.
