Those tempted to cry me a river over dance now have the chance with Phoenix Dance's new work, TearFall

WHILE she might be crying all the way to the bank, Phoenix Dance artistic director Sharon Watson has certainly put plenty of sweat and tears into her latest piece of choreography, TearFall, which will tour to Leeds and Newcastle next month.

Watson sought the advice of Sir John Holman, Emeritus Professor of Chemistry at the University of York, on the subject matter of tears for the company's new dance piece.

Watson has embarked on her latest exploration of science through dance, following up 2013’s DNA-inspired Repetition Of Change and 2011’s Melt by opting for TearFall as part of a new Mixed Programme for the spring season.

“I’ve turned my attention to the world of tears and discovered that these seemingly simple drops of salt water contain a world of scientific complexity, finely balanced to serve the body both physically and emotionally,” she says.

The premiere of TearFall is supported by the Wellcome Trust, to whom Professor Holman is a senior education advisor, hence his input into Watson’s study.

“Tears protect our vulnerable eyes, but they also help us show our emotions,” he says. “Working with Sharon on TearFall has stimulated me to think again about why we make tears and about their composition, including complex structures such as the protein lysozyme, which attacks and breaks down bacteria in our eyes. Why has evolution given humans the ability to produce tears in response to their emotional state?”

Not only have Watson and her creative team embraced both the science and emotion of tears, but they also have considered the reasons for crying and the ways that we cry. The resulting piece blends her trademark athletic, mesmeric and intricate choreography with humanity and intimacy to create a beautiful performance.

In Phoenix’s tour, Watson’s work will be joined by a double bill by Scarborough-raised Christopher Bruce, one of the most influential figures in world dance, whose choreography will be performed by the Leeds company for the first time. Phoenix will combine the re-staging of Shift, his 2007 study of life in the 1940s, with a new commission, Shadows, inspired by the music of Arvo Part.

“To me, many of Arvo Part’s compositions evoke images of a European history and tradition steeped in more than a thousand years of human experience and, frequently, suffering,” says Bruce. “These themes, and particularly the turbulence of 20th Century events, have influenced my reaction to his work Fratres”.

The programme will be completed by Caroline Finn’s Bloom, commissioned by Leeds-based Phoenix from the Munich choreographer in partnership with New Adventures, as part of her winning the New Adventures Choreographer Award. Finn’s choreography combines darkly comic expressions with a quirky dance style.

Tour dates:

West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds, Feb 11-14. Box Office: 0113-2137700 and wyp.org.uk

Northern Stage, Newcastle, May 28. 0191-2305151 and wyp.org.uk