In a time full of unknowns, Sarasota Contemporary Dance has strived for, and to an incredible extent, achieved a sense of normalcy. We have gathered, rehearsed, performed, endured, and have found comfort in one another and in our collective artistic process. And with our 2020-2021 season marking fifteen years as a cutting-edge contemporary dance company, we are breathing new life into some of our favorite performances from our history: dubbed by Artistic Director Leymis Bolaños-Wilmott our Quinceañera Season, this year we are celebrating the expansive and prolific fifteen-year life of Sarasota Contemporary Dance making waves on the arts coast.
In keeping with the reflective theme of our season, SCD revived its famous 2017 collaboration with renowned harpist Ann Hobson Pilot: SCD + Piazzolla. One of Leymis Bolaños-Wilmott’s all-time favorite collaborations, this soulful piece demonstrates the dynamic contemporary Argentine melodies of composer Astor Pantaleon Piazzolla, made anew by Ann Pilot’s arrangement for the harp. “Ann is an icon, a trailblazer, a world shaker, and someone who inspires me,” Leymis remarks. “She paved the way for women like myself to have a place in the performing arts, and I am beyond grateful for this experience.” SCD + Piazzolla went up at the Historic Asolo Theater on November 19th to a masked, socially-distanced audience happy to be back in a theater.
Our work in the midst of a global pandemic has of course not been without its challenges: after a successful first night of the live performance of Piazzolla, the production needed to transition to a wholly virtual experience after learning a member of our stage crew tested positive for COVID-19. Thanks to our stringent safety protocols, this positive case was gratefully an isolated incident: no one else in the company or production team was exposed, and our crew member is back in good health. Our collective trust in one another and protective procedure have kept us more focused, alert, and hardworking. The circumstances of this time make our work of togetherness, physical touch, athleticism, and movement feel more vital than ever before.
After an influx of warmth and support from our community, SCD + Piazzolla went down as another artistic success where collaboration, respect, and the joys of dance triumphed in adversity. As Bolaños-Wilmott asserts, “Dance is essential not only in my life, but for many who have been impacted by the power and joy that dance ignites at SCD’s performances and classes. I believe it is important to continue to create and perform while allowing patrons to experience the emotional and mental benefits of dance, in whatever method that may take on in the future.”
