Sarah-Jayne was born 3 July 1976, in South Africa, growing up in, Stratford, Taranaki, from the age of five. She trained at the New Zealand School of Dance, graduating with Honours in 1995.

She joined Meryl Tankard’s Australian Dance Theatre where she worked for four years performing throughout Australia, America, Japan and Europe. While at ADT she choreographed two solo works: Tonight and Veronique.

In 1999 Sarah-Jayne worked with Garry Stewart’s company Thwack! including a performance on New Years Eve suspended from the main sail of the Sydney Opera House. In 2000 she joined Gideon Obarzaneks Chunky Move Dance Company then returned to New Zealand to perform in Inland choreographed by Douglas Wright, White, by Raewyn Hill, and Weather, a duet with Michael Parmenter.

In 2002 she was selected as one of three finalists chosen worldwide for the inaugural Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative. In 2003/2004 Sarah-Jayne was a guest dancer with Australian Dance Theatre, performing in Held, choreographed by Garry Stewart incollaboration with US Photographer Lois Greenfield. She also choreographed for Company B’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, directed by Benedict Andrews. In 2005/2006 she performed in Already Elsewhere, directed by Kate Champion for the Sydney Festival of the Arts, and Black Milk, created by Douglas Wright, which toured New Zealand and Sydney. In 2007 Sarah-Jayne performed in Kaidan, choreographed by Meryl Tankard for a sold out season at the Sydney Festival. In the same year, she was the recipient of an Arts Foundation of New Zealand, Laureate Award. In 2008 she returned from London where she was performing a new dance theatre work roadkill by Splinter group, in which she collaborated with Gavin Webber and Grayson Millwood.

In 2018, she was appointed Associate Artistic Director at Australian Dance Theatre.