Dawn Sanders trained as an actor, dancer and dance teacher. During her professional career she danced with Royal New  Zealand Ballet, rising to Principal, and in a UK company. A severe back injury in 1976 ended that career abruptly. Since then, she has created a career in arts management, choreography (for plays, operas on stage and small screen), foley walking for television and films, arts project management, sponsorship, PR, tutoring and mentoring.

In 1991, she founded Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand of which she is CEO. As part of that she organises annual Shakespeare Festivals nationwide with flow on activities for secondary students, and other activities and programmes for primary age students through to seniors.

She is a published author and public speaker, and writes articles, seminar and conference papers on various arts topics, dance anatomy, dance and theatre history, Shakespeare, other historical topics, creative enterprise, sponsorship and fundraising. She serves on the Shakespeare Globe Council London, is NZ’s Board Director on Trinity College London, was a member of the Wellington Community Trust and others, and for many years was Chair of The Theatreview Trust until she stepped down in 2024. She was awarded the QSM in 1992 and, in 2013, was awarded ONZM.