It was a special day for international dance supremo Adam Cooper last Wednesday. Not only was it his 38th birthday but it was also the day before the world premiere of his new show Shall We Dance, at Sadler’s Wells.

A tribute to the music of composer Richard Rodgers, and featuring a large cast of more than 40 dancers and musicians, choreographer and director Adam is certainly carrying the weight of the big summer production on his shoulders.

“It’s the biggest show of my life,” he says.

However, the south London-born dancer insists the pressure is “no more that usual” – and with two decades in the industry, he has plenty of experience to compare it to.

“Twenty years ago today I was performing for the first time on the Royal Opera House stage in a Principal role,” Adam, who left The Royal Ballet 12 years ago, fondly recalls. “It was The Two Pigeons and it was The Royal Ballet School’s graduate performance.”

Bringing his story back to the present, he continues: “Today, I’ll be at the theatre rehearsing until about 10pm. Of course, I would rather be out with my family celebrating my birthday, but this is a great show and it’s something I have been dreaming about for a long time. To see it physically on stage is so exciting. I’m sure it’s going to be a busy and fun day.”

Developed from an initial meeting with classical music promoter and impresario Raymond Gubbay, Shall We Dance follows one man on his quest for the perfect women – from the Orient to the Wild West by way of Russian folk dance, New York jazz and waltzes of the Viennese ballroom. And it’s all set to a triumphant, show-stopping Rodgers score, with South Pacific, The Sound of Music and The King and I among the multitude of much-loved hit shows.

“I admire him [Rodgers] so much as a composer. He writes in so may different styles, it’s like listening to different composers, so there was no chance of getting bored,” Adam says, referring to the three months he spent going through the Rodgers oeuvre in preparation.

Adam was introduced to Rodgers at a young age with a theatre trip to Oklahoma!. He first encountered the composer professional in 2003, when he choreographed and starred in On Your Toes. More recently, he choreographed a new West End production of Carousel, but Shall We Dance represents the first time he will work with Rodgers without lyrics.

“When Richard Balcombe [musical director] and I started talking about how the music would be, we both decided it would be nice to take away the lyrics and just use the melodies as inspiration and narrative. It freed us up from the words setting the mood, ” says Adam, who took the lead in Matthew Bourne’s iconic all-male Swan Lake.

In stark contrast to the production’s lovelorn lead, Adam has found his perfect match in the shape of wife Sarah Wildor, who he met while dancing with The Royal Ballet some 15 years ago. The couple, who live in Hampshire, welcomed their first daughter, Naomi, 10 months ago, but becoming a mother has not kept Sarah from the stage, and she appears alongside her husband in Shall We Dance.

Speaking about the couple’s working relationship, a blissfully happy Adam beams: “I think it definitely works better for us. We feed well of each other, and she is a great inspiration for me and for talking through things, from the storyline to the costumes. I always love it when she is involved.”

Shall We Dance runs at Sadler’s Wells, Rosebery Avenue, London, until Sunday, August 30. Performances: Tuesday to Saturday, 7.30pm, matinees Wed, Sat and Sun, 2.30pm. Tickets: 0844 412 4300 or www.sadlerswells.com (£10-£50)