About Sarah

Sarah Stickell is passionate about supporting dancers, athletes, and performers in developing both performance and wellbeing within high-pressure training and performance environments. Her work integrates movement-informed insight with evidence-informed principles from sport and performance psychology, with a focus on sustainable performance, confidence, self-awareness, and long-term development.

 

Sarah’s approach is shaped by her combined background in dance, education, and psychology. Through years of teaching and working within performance settings, she developed a strong interest in how training environments, organisational culture, identity, and wellbeing influence both performance and long-term development in performers and athletes. This has led to a broader professional focus on helping individuals and organisations create healthier, more supportive, and psychologically informed performance environments.

 

She believes performance development should support the whole person—not only technical or physical achievement, but also confidence, emotional regulation, wellbeing, and sustainable engagement within sport and performance settings. Her work values collaboration, inclusivity, empathy, and open communication, creating spaces where performers feel respected, supported, and empowered to develop both personally and professionally.

 

Sarah earned her BFA in Dance from San José State University and has over 9 years of teaching experience across multiple movement disciplines. Alongside teaching, she has performed professionally across the United States and Europe through a variety of companies, projects, and performance opportunities. Her experience includes performing for Walt Disney World, choreographic and community arts work throughout the Bay Area, and collaborations within diverse performance environments internationally.

 

She is currently completing an MSc in Psychology of Sport at the University of Stirling and is a Stage 1 trainee in performance psychology. Her academic and professional interests focus on performer wellbeing, identity, organisational culture, and creating psychologically supportive environments within dance, sport, and performance settings.