Spice Girl Melanie C to Perform at Sadlers Wells as Part of 2023 Season

Cunningham became a Sadler's Wells New Wave Associate in 2018 having worked extensively with Merce Cunningham in New York and Michael Clark in the UK. Melanie Chisholm, a fellow Liverpudlian, has been a source of inspiration and fascination for Cunningham over many years.

Cunningham said: "As a young dancer from the north west, witnessing the Spice Girls explosion when I was 16 was pivotal. Particularly in Melanie C, I saw possibilities and ways of being myself that were outside of what was expected. Many years later, after all the experiences I've had, it's a real pleasure to be in the process of creation with Melanie and my long-time collaborator Harry Alexander. Together we are working through our shared dance histories and differences to explore what this moment of being together is."

Sadler's Wells Artistic Director and Chief Executive Sir Alistair Spalding CBE introduced Cunningham and Chisholm through his music world contacts. They began creating how did we get here? in summer 2022, collaborating with award-winning dancer Harry Alexander. Set in the round with some seating on stage, the trio will present an intimate evening of dance.

Sir Alistair Spalding CBE said: "Sadler's Wells has a track record of bringing artists from different disciplines and backgrounds together to create fresh approaches to the making of dance. What comes out of this coming together of artists is a particularly exciting prospect, as Jules and Melanie come together at this point in both of their lives and careers."

Melanie Chisholm said: "As a classically trained dancer, it's a dream come true for me to perform at Sadler's Wells and even more so on an adventurous and groundbreaking project like this. My mind is blown when I think about starting my career with the Spice Girls, in the crazy glare of popular culture and then 25 years later I'm coming to perform with artists of the calibre of Jules, on the stage at Sadler's Wells. It's a full circle cultural moment for me and I'm pinching myself!"

Harry Alexander said: "In the studio together, Jules, Melanie and I have discovering ways of working that feel unique to the three of us. Despite the differences in our bodies, there's an easy dynamic that has allowed us to find similarities and shared qualities. Dancing allows us to bring these to the surface in a way that feels natural and very familiar."