John-William Watson

Exciting announcement! 📞Hang in There, Baby is back… again baby - now in @ndcwales flavour 📞 Over the moon to share that I’ll be re-staging my 2022 sci-fi dark comedy on the wonderful folks over at National Dance Company Wales in spring next year 🗄️ This work is truly near and dear to my heart, so I can’t bloomin’ wait to share it with a whole new group of dancers and new audiences. More info coming soon about the evening, tickets and all that good stuff - so keep an eye out 🌟 That’s all for now folks! JWW x Footage from Hang in There, Baby at Sadler’s Wells 2022. Shot by @benny_wynn The incredibly performers pictured: @nyabardouille @gornik.iewicz @lara.peresrocha @bethemmerson Original composition & sound design: @adamvclarke Costume design & creative consultant: @melshstudio Lighting design: @rjs_ld Rehearsal Direction: @jasminelilyyoga . . . . #choreographer #choreography #dancetheatre #theatre #surrealism #absurdism #existentialism #johnwilliamwatson #silentfilm #ndcwales #nationaldancecompanywales

“Let’s run through it one more time to make sure…” A little look back on Rules for Safe Lifting, my first full length solo work that previewed as part of A Treachery of Images, my new solo double bill, earlier this year! The whole evening was one D.I.Y shoestring affair, self funding a show is bloomin’ difficult and scary, but I couldn’t be more proud of what we achieved! A sell out show (in my hometown oh yeah!) people having to be turned away (sorry folks!) and getting to share the work with some wonderful new audiences; a good portion of which has never seen dance before (cmonnn!) A huge thank you to my incredible designer, rehearsal director and technical assistant for being 3000 people at once! @melshstudio Anyways more to come on NOT TO BE REPRODUCED shenanigans soon, until then enjoy these impressions by @aoifehendersonphotos who captured the work so beautifully! That’s all for now folks! JWW x #nottobereproduced #ntbr #choreographer #dancetheatre #dance #surrealism #theatre #johnwilliamwatson #contemporarydance #northernartist

🪑ANNOUNCEMENT🪑 NOT TO BE REPRODUCED | a new independent devising and performance company. So, I’ve started a dance company folks! Why? Because I want to. Created out of a desire to, stand up, walk around and stretch my legs (in a metaphorical contemporary-dance-theatre kind of way) NOT TO BE REPRODUCED is a space for myself and my wonderful group of collaborators to explore new, bigger, sillier, and more epic stories on stage. - This new company is a formalisation of the way I’ve been working over the past 5 years. I’ve felt incredibly grateful to be able make and share my work nationally and internationally. During that time I’ve not only learnt a lot about myself but about the way I like to work and about the worlds I like to create on stage. So, in short, at NOT TO BE REPRODUCED we do things by the three S’s: (Kind of) - SURREAL - SILLY - EXI(S)TENTIAL The stories we tell weave together elements of fantasy and reality, creating experiences that are as thought-provoking as they are whimsical and relatable. Infused with Watson’s (that’s me) distinct flavour of silliness and humour, we consistently approach even the most existential themes with a little wink and a nudge. - To be nice and transparent, this is all an independent venture - not as a result of some mega grant or lottery win. I’m not an NPO (obviously), I’ve not got some wonderful mysterious private donors floating about, nor even a successful project grant under my belt yet. This company is an intention, formalisation, and of course a good old bit of manifestation! This year we’ve got our first independent project in the works (which I’m very excited about) and a new show in collaboration with Sadler’s Wells Company of Elder’s - but more on all that as and when. For now that’s that you lovely lot! - Ooh and I’ve got a new website so check it out, I pay good money for it! - That’s all for now folks! JWW x Incredible tiny type photography by: @jonathanrturner #nottobereproduced #ntbr #choreographer #dancetheatre #dance #surrealism #theatre #johnwilliamwatson #contemporarydance #northernartist

✨Announcing the Artists in Residence for Play Space 2026! What is Play Space? The Cultural Institute and stage@leeds return for another year, offering a summer residency programme for theatre, dance, musical theatre, and live art makers at the University of Leeds. The programme offers a five-day residency at the University of Leeds, providing access to studio and performance spaces managed by stage@leeds , alongside opportunities to build academic connections and explore and experiment with work-in-progress ideas. We’re so excited to welcome these artists over the summer, and we can’t wait to see what they create! 🎉 Photo credits: Jane Steele © the artist John-William Watson © Daniel Archer Lewys Holt © Jorden Brooks Lora Krasteva © Kevin Blake Lora Krasteva © Soar Creative

Happy World Theatre Day 🎭 Movement tells stories in ways words can’t. This April, Company of Elders return to Sadler’s Wells for Elixir Festival with a powerful double bill shaped through dance and lived experience. Featuring They Look Like People by John-William Watson and a new work by Charlotta Öfverholm. @charlotta.ofverholm_ageonstage @johnwilliamwatson 📆 8 Apr 📍 Lillian Baylis Studio #CompanyOfElders #ElixirFestival #SadlersWells #ContemporaryDance #WorldTheatreDay

Snippets from our piece ‘Something completely different’ by @johnwilliamwatson 🔥 music by @adamvclarke

“Dr. Ainley, is there such a thing as insanity amongst penguins?” Something very exciting coming soon. That’s all for now folks! JWW x Dancers pictured: @heatherbirley_ @bethemmerson Photography by: @camilla_greenwell #johnwilliamwatson #ntbr #dancetheatre #northernartist #contemporarydance

They Look Like People BTS Five months late but here’s a little look behind the scenes of the premier of They Look Like People at Sadler’s Wells last October! This was one of the most memorable, beautiful and joy filled processes to date. The love I have for this gorgeous cast is hard to put into words but if I had to it would be… Silk Scarf Sugar Bowl Tall, Majestic, Cool and Calm If you know you know! Anyways, They Look Like People has been programmed for Elixir Festival at Sadler’s Wells East in April. So if you didn’t make sure it last year, make sure you catch it this spring! With the wonderful NOT TO BE REPRODUCED team: Set and Costume Designer: Joshua Cartmell - MELSH Studio Composer and Sound Artist: Adam Vincent Clarke Lighting Designer: Amelia Hawkes Voice Actor: Beth Emmerson And the incredible: Rehearsal Director: Simona Scotto Violin: Edgar Gomes Vocalists: Barbershop John and Valentina Jazz Projects Manager: Katie Vernon-Smith Senior Projects Officer: Brittany Roberts Producer: Christopher Haddow Special thanks: Mind the Gap Tickets in my bio! That’s all for now folks! JWW x #johnwilliamwatson #nottobereproduced #dancetheatre #communitydance #sadlerswells

Big thank you to the amazing @johnwilliamwatson for working with us this half term to create such an incredible piece! We have loved every second and can’t wait to perform! ❤️ Thank you to @ciara.clayton for all your help alongside every week 🫶

They Look Like People The most incredible project with the most incredible cast imaginable, grateful doesn’t quite cut it. More to come soon on these beautiful folks and the beautiful time we had together. Until then enjoy one of my favourite images from the show! “Our bodies may be containers, but they will carry specific histories. And those histories are still meaningful.” - Chana Porter / The Seep Writer, Director, Choreographer: John-William Watson Performers and Co-Creators: Bernadette Durso, Keiko Onishi, Rachel Thompson, Sara Harris, Roberto Ishii, Kate Marshall, Stephen Rowe, Terri Erdem, Dahlia Douglas, Isidora Joseph, Monica Duck, Catriona Maccoll, Jennifer James, Judy Lipsey, Amina Patel, Hisami Okamoto, Fred Manson, Margaret Gaskin, Almeric Johnson Set and Costume Designer: Joshua Cartmell - MELSH Studio Composer and Sound Artist: Adam Vincent Clarke Lighting Designer: Amelia Hawkes Rehearsal Director: Simona Scotto Voice Actor: Beth Emmerson Violin: Edgar Gomes Vocalists: Barbershop John and Valentina Jazz Projects Manager: Katie Vernon-Smith Senior Projects Officer: Brittany Roberts Producer: Christopher Haddow Projects Coordinator: Siân Gilling Photography: Ellie Kurttz

Hey folks! So been on hell of a year, big ups and big downs and I thought I’d take the good old NYE party day to share some of this years shenanigans… in no particular order: - Working with a beautiful group of people in Aix-en-Provence with @dohertyoona - Making a new work on the wonderful Future Shift over in Birmingham - Restaging Hang in There, Baby on a phenomenal cast at @ndcwales - Self producing and funding my first solo show with @melshstudio ‘A Treachery of Images’ in LEEDS! - Taking the chair to Culture Club at Sadler’s Wells - Sharing my practice all over the shop, for ODUK, Sadler’s Wells and finishing this year with the lovely @vervenscd - Movent directing One Punch by @jgodberco - Creating a new work on the INCREDIBLE Company of Elders @sadlers_wells / the show has been programmed for Elixir festival in the spring at Sadler’s East - Working with the phenomenal @bethemmerson on her new duet Counterfiet Goods! - Back in the studio with the ever magical @maiyaleeke - Teaching my own solo/mime practice on the syllabus at @northern_school and @mtgstudios - Teaching all of over the country for NYDCs nations wide schools programme @nydcompany - Teaching and developing workshops for Sadlers Wells Making Moves - Company supporting boots the house down with NYDC… and we even went to Berlin! And of course this year I established NOT TO BE REPRODUCED, my independent devising and performance company! I wanna thank everyone who’s watched, participated, danced, sang and laughed with me over this year. To be able to continue to grow, be challenged, play with and share what I do is something that I’m more grateful for year on year. New work and life projects in the pipeline next year, including but not limited to, relearning piano, renovating an apartment in an old fabric mill, and GETTING MARRIED to @melshstudio 🥳 So, for 2025 at least, that’s all for now folks! JWW x #nottobereproduced #johnwilliamwatson #northernartist #choreographer #dancetheatre

Seated, but definitely not sitting still this Christmas Eve 🎄✨ Meet @johnwilliamwatson , Choreographer and former Sadler’s Wells Young Associate. His film for Digital Stage plays with everyday movement, transforming the ordinary through a surreal, silent cinema inspired lens. 🎥Watch the full film on - /digital-stage Made in collaboration with filmmaker Jacob Sutton Credits Commissioned by Sadler’s Wells Director – Jacob Sutton Choreographed & Performed by John-William Watson Produced by Art Partner Special thanks to Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui Director of Photography – Oliver Dahmen Editor – Tom Chick Stylist – Karen Langley All clothes by Prada Hairstylist – Alfie Sackett Make Up Artist – Marie Bruce Audio Description – Eleanor Margolies Music by Strauss Die Fledermaus Overture Arranged and produced by Roman Seekirchner of Seekirchner GmbH Conducted by Vladimir Kiradjiev Shockwave Sound #DigitalStage #Dance #SadlersWells