Zoe Dawson

Occupation: Manager, Cooma Universities Centre

From: Dynamo Dance Studio

About Me:

Before moving to Cooma I was sweating it out in the metropolis of Sydney. I had been working there for six years after having done a two year stint in London. Eight years in big cities was more than enough, so when I saw the position advertised to open and manage the Cooma Universities Centre I thought all my Christmases had come at once! My Sydney friends were concerned with how I was going to cope in such a small country town (in fact my new boss was too), but I had been desperate to move back to the country for ages - I spent my younger years in Wellington (NSW not New Zealand),  high school in Albury, university in Wollongong and taught for 4 years in Bellingen.

I fell in love with the Monaro, the Mountains and the cold straight away (I can’t even handle the humidity of Sydney now). Luckily for me, within a few months of moving here I managed to meet a delightful local farmer (striped shirt, moleskins and RMs - here I come!). Andrew and I now live out at Maffra where I occasionally spend my days off pretending to be a ‘farmer’ too - I even have my own pair of work boots and the dogs will do what I say in the yards (when I use the one who knows what to do on his own). Admittedly, these ‘celebrity farmer’ days often result in tears because the sheep are frustrating me by playing “there’s an invisible gate we won’t go though” or I’m too tired from stumbling over rocks, or there are farm creepies like spiders hiding in the shed waiting to attack me.

Why I am Participating in Strictly Musical:

When I moved to Cooma, “MCCR” and “Dancing with the Stars” were terms that seemed to appear in every day local conversation. I did a bit of research (so as not to seem completely blonde) and was amazed at the scope of work and assistance offered to local families by this wonderful organisation. When I was asked to be a part of this event I literally jumped at the chance - pretty sure I RSVP’d within 0.4 of a second of opening the invitation. In all of the towns I have lived in around Australia and the world, I don’t believe I have ever come across a more organised, dedicated, passionate and professional group of fundraisers - my hat goes off to the amazing ladies of MCCR.

All of us, at some stage in life, are touched by cancer. To know that the money raised through this year’s Strictly Musical will go towards assisting local families access and receive treatment for this unpredictable disease, is worth every embarrassing thing I may do on (and off) stage.

My choreographers are:

Katie Thompson, Chloe Crawford and Kim Neville