This year, the company is prioritizing diversity through collaboration with local musicians, reviving the SCD repertory, and presenting nationally acclaimed guest choreographers by bringing their never-before-seen original works to Sarasota. Opening the SCD’s 17th Season is “Voices: Rising Choreographers.” For the past eight years, this program has presented rising choreographers who were selected from SCD’s Summer Intensive Programs by SCD Artistic Director Leymis Bolaños Wilmott. This year’s range of work reinforces SCD’s vision: to support and develop artists ranging from emerging to mid-career. “We aim to provide a performance platform that empowers these choreographers,” Bolaños Wilmot says. This year’s choreographers are Alexis Diggs (Dayton, Ohio), Rebecca Eurom (New York City), Matthew Sommers (Austin, Texas), Sarah Emory (St. Petersburg, Florida) and Xiao-Xuan Yang Dancigers (an SCD company member who is entering her eighth season).

A highlight of this production is the pre-show performance by the SCD Ensemble—the training company for aspiring dancers. A residency program was also added this season for the Ensemble and selected Laura Chambers (from Sarasota) as the artist-in-residence. Her new work on the Ensemble will open the production. “For Voices: Rising Choreographers, we are increasing residencies for rising choreographers to share their stories, by presenting more artists than ever before,” Bolaños Wilmot says. “These offerings continue to incite our spirited vision—being a versatile contemporary dance company and training ground that nurtures and provides resources for dancers and artmakers in various stages of development.” 

Sarasota Contemporary Dance: 1400 Boulevard of the Arts Suite 300, Sarasota, 941-260-8485, sarasotacontemporarydance.org.