Zara Anwar was born and raised in Columbia, MD. She began her dance training at a small studio under the direction of former Joffrey Ballet company member Renee Meyer and former Kansas City Ballet dancer Angela Walker. Ms. Anwar continued her professional training at the Baltimore School for the Arts (BSA) under the direction of Norma Pera. During her time at BSA, she was a scholarship recipient and performed lead roles such as Dew Drop Fairy, Snow Queen, and Rat Queen in The Nutcracker staged by Barry Hughson; the Pioneer Woman in Martha Graham’s Appalachian Spring; Priestess in Katherine Helen Fisher's Codex; and a corps member in George Balanchine's Serenade staged by former NYCB dancer Deborah Wingert. In addition, Ms. Anwar trained at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater on scholarship throughout her four years at BSA.
She graduated from the Alonzo King LINES Ballet BFA Program at Dominican University of California summa cum laude with Honors in May of 2020. Throughout her college career, Ms. Anwar studied in Chicago with Benjamin Holliday Wardell and The Cambrians, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago at USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, Vim Vigor, and Colorado Conservatory of Dance. Following graduation, Ms. Anwar trained with Oklahoma City Ballet, Dance Works Chicago, and Post:Ballet on scholarship. She worked with distinguished choreographers and performed works by Gregory Dawson, Carmen Rozestraten, Christian Burns, Maurya Kerr, Robert Moses, Kara Davis, Nicholas Korkos, Robin Dekkers, Liv Schaffer, and Dominic Walsh.
During her summers, Zara traveled abroad to Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Oaxaca, Mexico with JUNTOS Collective in bringing dance to underserved communities. Connecting through movement, she found dance as a means of fostering healing, human connection and enriching the lives of children, women, orphans, elders, the abused and the ill.
Since joining Axis Dance Company in January of 2022, she performed works Marc Brew, Sonsheree Giles, Nadia Adame, Ben Levine, Asun Noales, Robin Dekkers, Dazaun Soleyn, and Jorge Crecis; and has performed in venues and festivals such as Rowan University, Bold Moves Festival (2022), ODC Theater, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival (2023), the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf, Germany (2023), Festival Internacional Cervantino, MX (2023), ASU Gammage, and Unique Source Awards Ceremony. She has taught for the company’s dance workshops and summer intensives and teaches ballet to students at select studios in the East Bay.
In addition to contemporary dance, Zara Anwar explores acting, theater, and singing, and enjoys hip hop, jazz, and tap dancing. She is passionate about cross-training and full-body health, and harnesses this zeal through Pilates and her time at the gym. Ms. Anwar has captured and intrigued the performing arts community with her authenticity and drive, and is passionate about making an impact and touching the lives of others through her performances. She is currently based in New York City. Explore the portfolio and get in touch directly with any questions.
About Zara Anwar