Sophia Adzoa-Moore: Embracing Dance with Crutches on the West End Stage

Sophia Adzoa-Moore harbored aspirations of performing on the West End since the age of 10. Nevertheless, at 13, she experienced a sudden inability to walk, leading her to believe her life and professional ambitions were shattered. Currently 25, she is resuming her stage career, confronting the realities of being a disabled artist, and aiming to motivate others. She recounts, “I first ended up on crutches when I was 13, I woke up and was in a whole bunch of pain from my hip… at the time I just thought it was a short-term injury but 12 years later I realised it was not.” The pain prevented Sophia, who hails from Chelmsford, Essex, from dancing for a period of six or seven years. In 2019, she enrolled in a university course focused on backstage theatre. She states that after three weeks, she experienced a “wobble” and recognized her true desire was to perform on stage, not work behind the scenes. She asserts, “No-one has ever said you can’t dance on crutches. It might have been implied or the industry might have given me that impression on the fact there’s not many disabled people out there, but no-one has ever said it to me flat out.” Currently, she incorporates her crutches into her performances and advocates for increased representation on stage. She reflects, “Thirteen-year-old me didn’t even think of this as a possibility.” She adds, “It’s genuinely all I’ve ever wanted to do. I can’t think of a time when someone would have asked me what I wanted to do when I was older and [performing] would not have been the answer.” Sophia completed her studies at the musical theatre college, Performance Preparation Academy in Guildford, Surrey, in July. Like her peers, she is currently learning to navigate the entertainment industry. Nevertheless, Sophia expresses a desire for casting directors to comprehend her artistic objectives and the unique contributions she can bring to a production. During auditions, Sophia explains that she must evaluate factors such as the accessibility of the location by public transport, the adequacy of space in the audition room, and her ability to modify new choreography to perform while using her crutches. She elaborates, “If there’s loads of people and not enough space that can be a real struggle because I need the space. I don’t want to invade anyone else’s space, because I’m not invading it just with my arm, I’m invading it with a literal stick.” She further states, “Because I used to dance without crutches, my brain is learning choreography just like non-disabled dancers. It takes a minute for me to learn the choreography and then translate it into what my body needs to do now and sometimes that needs an extra minute.” Sophia advocates for enhanced open communication between disabled dancers and other professionals within the performance sector. She emphasizes, “It’s not an elephant in the room. Everyone can see I’m on crutches. You don’t have to pretend I’m not disabled, it’s very obvious and that’s OK. “That’s what makes me, me and I’ve completely accepted it now.” The 25-year-old is scheduled to perform in a production titled Little Piece of You at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London, on Thursday and Friday. This show is described as an unconventional musical that blends family drama with modern rock and pop. Sophia notes that it is not a production where she will be relegated to the corner performing a “step click.” She exclaims, “I can’t even believe I am doing it. I’m going to be on Drury Lane. Only two or three years ago I was watching Frozen… Only six or seven years ago I was watching 42nd Street – which at the time was my dream and now that’s going to be me.” She expresses hope, “I’m hoping this show will start to open the eyes of people… and maybe that will trickle down to the people who are in the audition rooms. You never know who is coming to watch these shows.” Following 10 years of experiencing mobility pain, Sophia recently received a diagnosis of Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). She described finding a name for her pain as both validating and reassuring. This condition impacts connective tissue, potentially causing hypermobility and leading to painful, unstable joints prone to easy dislocation. She comments, “It’s doesn’t change anything. There is no cure… I am OK with my life. Yes I’m in a bit of pain and life is very different to how one might have imagined it when I was five, and I’m OK with that.” Sophia articulates a desire for increased disability representation within the industry and improved theatre accessibility, ensuring that the arts are enjoyable for everyone. She observes, “We are going in the right direction. I am an avid theatre goer and a performer so I know both sides of it. It’s improving. I’m working and that maybe 10 years ago might not have been a possibility so that’s a start.” She adds, “Lots of theatres have stairs, these are old buildings but working round that is something that over time will hopefully improve. In terms of audiences, working on the amount of stairs… more and more theatres are getting lifts put in which is great because otherwise you severely limit the places disabled people can sit.” For Sophia, her performance in Little Piece of You marks merely the commencement of her journey. She aspires to encourage more individuals to pursue theatre and to embody the role model she sought in her youth. She notes, “It’s really hard trying to do something that’s not been done before. There’s no-one to look up to.” She concludes, “Dancing still, as it has always done, brings me so much joy and the added bonus of the crutches really is just what makes me, me now.” A representative from Arts Council England stated, “We always strive to be more inclusive, which is why we are encouraging more diverse and disabled applicants to apply for our funding but we know there’s more to be done.” The spokesperson further indicated that the organization is collaborating with “theatres to embed disability and access across stage and backstage, ensuring that disabled people are integral including how theatres make and present productions.” The BBC reached out to Equity, the trade union for performing arts and entertainment, for a statement. For updates on Essex news, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. 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