17th season

Opening Sarasota Contemporary Dance’s 17^th Season is Voices – Rising Choreographers. This program presents rising choreographers who were selected by adjudication from SCD's Summer Intensive Programs, chosen by Artistic Director Leymis Bolaños Wilmott. This year’s range of work reinforces SCD’s spirit of nurturing artists in various stages of their career. From emerging to mid-career, these contemporary voices matter, and we aim to provide a performance platform that EMPOWERS these choreographers.

This year’s choreographers are Alexis Diggs (Dayton, Ohio), Rebecca Eurom (NYC), Matthew Sommers (Austin, TX), Sarah Emory (St. Petersburg, FL), and SCD Company Member entering her 8th season, Xiao-Xuan Yang Dancingers. A highlight of this production is the pre-show performance by SCDE, SCD’s training company for aspiring dancers. This season, we have added a residency program and selected Laura Chambers (Sarasota, FL) as the Fall SCDE artists in residency. Her new work on SCDE will open the production.

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Sarasota Contemporary Dance is reclaiming its position as a COLLABORTIVE force in Sarasota by re-igniting relationships with other arts organizations that had to be on pause during the pandemic. This season, SCD is thrilled to collaborate with Samantha Bennett and George Nickson of enSRQ on a program exploring rhythms, dance, and song from around the world. SCD + enSRQ also features stunning scenic design by St. Petersburg-based multidisciplinary artist Sharon McCaman.

This year, “Dance Makers” features new, imaginative dance pieces created by nationally acclaimed contemporary choreographers. Their eclectic STORIES will be embodied by our fierce and versatile dancers. “Dance Makers” promises to be a season favorite by highlighting a range of works from the aesthetics of jazz dance performed to Miles Davis and syncompated, athletic Afro-Cuban movement, to more dramatic solo and duet works. The featured artists include Gilliane Hadely (Orlando, FL), Lisa del Rosario (Austin, TX), Melissa Cobblah Gutierrez (Miami, FL), and Tania Vergara Perez (Sarasota, FL).

SCD closes its 17^th season with a comeback of its “Evolving/Revolving” showcase in which the company revives previously staged works to expand and deepen their meaning into evening-length performances. For RECLAIM, SCD’s striking work of “Jehanne” returns to the stage, studying Joan of Arc’s strident and powerful cultural influence in the Hundred Year’s War, accompanied by live music with original composition by Mark Dancigers. This work honors the human SPIRIT by demonstrating the resilience that has taken the company to this point and will continue its forward-motion.

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