Seeds, Dreams and Constellations, a new work by Corinne Bailey Rae and Sharon Watson MBE

Premiering at Leeds’ Riley Theatre on Thursday 25 May, ‘Seeds, Dreams and Constellations’ is a new artistic collaboration between Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae and Sharon Watson MBE, CEO & Principal of the Northern School of Contemporary Dance.

Created for Leeds 2023 Year of Culture, and performed by an international cast of over 30 dancers drawn from Leeds-based dance companies: Watson Dance Project, VERVE and Mobius Dance, the work will blend captivating choreography by Sharon Watson with evocative live music from Corinne Bailey Rae in an exploration of the ‘Infinite potential of the human spirit’. Set to empower and uplift audiences, ‘Seeds, Dreams and Constellations’ will tap into Corinne and Sharon’s own personal experiences, aspirations and journeys to becoming successful, internationally-celebrated artists.

Both women have their roots in Leeds and began nurturing their creativity from a young age. Corinne grew up as the lead singer in bands and sang in the church choir before going on to emerge as a critically-acclaimed solo artist. Sharon grew up in Leeds and moved to London to train as a professional dancer, before returning to complete her studies at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance and landing the role of Artistic Director for Leeds-based Phoenix Dance Theatre in 2009.

It was during the Phoenix Dance Theatre tour of MELT in 2012, a work choreographed by Sharon, that the idea for a collaboration between the two began to emerge.

Corinne commented: “What I love so much about watching contemporary dance is that you can see people’s spirit. The interaction between the dancers dissolves the illusion of prescribed gender roles – you may see a woman holding the back and head of a man, supporting his weight. In that sense, I think that dance with music has a real capacity to be revolutionary and radical because it’s such a rejection of the rigid structures of social expectations that we build, which are just an illusion.”

Sharon Watson commented: “I’m excited to be teaming up with Corinne Bailey Rae and to be part of the lively programme of curated events for LEEDS 2023. Collaborations like this give artists across Leeds the opportunity to forge new connections within the city, creating platforms for them to express their creativity, work with different artforms and carve the way for flexible future career paths.”

‘Seeds, Dream and Constellations’ will run from 25 May to 27 May 2023 at the Riley Theatre in Chapeltown, Leeds and is made possible with seed-commission funding from LEEDS 2023, and support from Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Mobius Dance and Arts Council England.