Nanette Hassall was born in Sydney, Australia, and studied dance at venues including Australian schools.
She taught physical education at a girls' high school while pursuing her love of dance.
[1] In 1969, she won the Ballet Australia Choreographic Competition, using her prize money to help her continue her studies in the United States.
[2] There, she attended the Juilliard School, New York, on scholarship,[1] with teachers including José Limón and Antony Tudor.
While working at the Dartingon College of the Arts, she met American composer Bill Fontana, marrying him in London in 1975.