Soundtrack To My Life: Kate Kadow

Kate Kadow as Princess Aurora on the opening night of The Sleeping Beauty in Wellington, with Nicholas Schultz as the King and Clytie Campbell as the Queen: Photo / Stephen A'Court

Florida-born dancer Kate Kadow is captivating audiences as Princess Aurora in the Royal New Zealand Ballet's new production of The Sleeping Beauty. She shares the musical milestones that have shaped her life.

Tchaikovsky
Swan Lake
When I was 11, I had a video tape of [Russian prima ballerina] Natalia Makarova dancing Swan Lake and I watched it over and over again. The White Swan pas de deux in the second act is one of my favourite pieces of music and has always inspired me to want to dance. It's hard to listen to it and not feel emotional in some way. It just resonates with me. It's also my dream role. In normal life, I'm much more like the Black Swan, but when I'm dancing, I feel more towards the White. I think everyone has those multiple personalities inside of them. Aurora [in The Sleeping Beauty] is so sweet and perfect it was a little intimidating, but it came really naturally on stage somehow and I love when that happens.

Hanson
MMMBop
Someone gave me a cassette of Hanson's MMMBop and it's the first music I remember owning. Six-year-old me really loved it. I think it's gone down in history as one of the worst hits ever. If I heard it now, I'd cringe.

Celia Cruz
Rie Y Llora
When I'm a little homesick, I listen to the Mamas & the Papas but music like this takes me back to a different part of my American life. When I was 14, I began training with Cuban dancers in Florida and was immersed in that beautiful culture for the next five years. Cubans are such talented people in all walks of life; they're just made a little differently from the rest of us. And there's an authenticity about them. We're clutching at our pearls and they just call it like they see it. At the time, it wasn't possible [for Americans] to get into Cuba. A lot of my friends had defected as ballet dancers and couldn't understand why I'd want to go there. But I'd love to one day, for sure.

Guns N' Roses
Don't Cry
When I was 17, a guy I liked played this for me. Later, I listened to it without him. Funny how those things happen. You listen to music with a different perspective when you're older – it reminds me I'm a different person now. But it's a song that has staying power for me. There's an honesty to it I really love. He's saying, "We can't be together but I still love you, so don't cry." Even though it's over, there's something beautiful left behind.

Eminem
Lose Yourself
I've loved Eminem since I was a little girl, which is so weird. Our backgrounds are as different as you could imagine but I still related to his music. My parents did not approve, by the way. When he came to New Zealand last year, he played one concert and it was in Wellington – on the same night as our show. I was only dancing in the first half so I bought a ticket from my dressing room, took an Uber and made it just in time. There was a record crowd at the stadium, and to hear so many people singing Lose Yourself was a very special moment. I tend to be a nervous performer and sometimes I'll play that song before a show – in my pink sparkly tutu, listening to Eminem telling me to be in the moment.

As told to Joanna Wane

The Royal New Zealand Ballet is touring The Sleeping Beauty nationwide until December 12 – one of the only professional ballet companies in the world currently performing to unrestricted live audiences. To find out more, visit rnzb.org.nz.