News from Sarasota Contemporary Dance
www.sarasotacontemporarydance.org
Evolving/Revolving Performance is coming around again, Next week for Sarasota Contemporary Dance
Evolving/Revolving remembers past dancers and choreographers who have graced our stage as well as those who are nationally celebrated. This dynamic performance is a mixture of re-staged favorites by SCD Artistic Director Leymis Bolaños Wilmott and local choreographer Elizabeth (Liz) Bergman and new works by Alyson Dolan (recent winner of the Austin Critics Best-Dancer Award), local hip-hop sensation Kris ‘Tetris’ Powell, and SCD Resident Choreographer Erin Fletcher. This emotional, physical, and highly entertaining concert will close our current performance season. This performance will be held at the Jane B. Cook Theater in the FSU Center for the Performing Arts, Thursday, May 11 – Sunday, May 14. Performance times are 7:30pm Thursday-Saturday and on Sunday at 2:00pm. Tickets can be purchase online at www.sarasotacontemporarydance.org or by calling 941.359.0099.
Who is Alyson Dolan?
Alyson Dolan is an Austin-based dancer, choreographer, and teacher who was recently recognized by the Austin Chronicle as a “key modern mover.” She has performed, taught, and shown work at multiple festivals, theaters, and schools throughout the country and is an avid collaborator. Alyson currently performs with Kathy Dunn Hamrick Dance Company and Andrea Ariel Dance Theatre, is a Teaching Artist with Forklift Danceworks, and is on the faculty at St. Edward’s University and Hamrick/Warren, a professional modern dance studio housed at Cafe Dance. As stated by the Chronicle in their 2015 guide to Austin’s dance scene, “Alyson was named Outstanding Dancer by the Austin Critics’ Table in 2014. This year, an Outstanding Duet award to her and Jack Anthony Dunlap II for a deep-diving section of Hamrick’s Briefs: An Episodic Adventure.” Alyson has served on the Adjunct Faculty at Texas State University, St. Edwards University, St. Petersburg College, and Booker High School, and she has fulfilled artist residencies at Texas A&M University, Sarasota Contemporary Dance, Bowie High School, and Hendrickson High School. She recently completed a six-week residency at McCallum’s Fine Arts Academy.
Who is Liz Bergmann?
Bergmann is a successful choreographer, teacher, and dancer and is retired as the former Dance Director of Harvard University. A graduate of The Juilliard School with an advanced degree from the University of Michigan, Bergmann has been a teacher of such luminaries as Christine Dakin, leading dancer and former director of the Martha Graham Dance Company in New York; Madonna; and Natalie Portman. Past experience includes the position of Chair of Dance at the University of Michigan, Florida International University, California State University at Long Beach, and Shenandoah University. As a Fulbright Scholar to Trinidad, she continues her relationship with Trinidad and Tobago in her current work. In 1999 she published a book, co-authored with Elizabeth Colton, entitled “Connecting to Creativity: Ten Keys to Unlocking Your Creative Potential.”
Who is Kristofer Powell?
Powell–also known as “Tetris”–started his training at Booker High school. After really taking to it, the athlete turned dancer received a scholarship to attend The New World School of the Arts in Miami, Florida. During his intense training in Miami, Kris was introduced to the fundamentals of Hip Hop dance and started a well-known Dance Crew “N3K8” (pronounced Intricate). After only a year in college Kris was seen in music videos with artists including T-Pain, Trina, Lil Chuckee, and others and back-up danced for “J-Shock.” With the combined technical skills that he gained from New World School of the Arts and the contrasted hip-hop style he had obtained, Kris began to create his own mix of the two worlds. After 5 years in Miami teaching at local studios and schools, Kris moved back home to Sarasota, and began his journey with Moving Ethos Dance Company. Kris is also the first physical education hip-hop dance teacher for the Sarasota County School Board, as well as a choreographer for Booker High School–his way of bringing the beautiful things he learned in Miami back to Sarasota’s youth.
Who is Erin Fletcher?
Fletcher joined Sarasota Contemporary Dance as a performer in 2012 and is now the Resident Choreographer for the company. For three consecutive seasons her works were selected for the annual “Voices of Fuzión” concert. Fletcher received her BFA from the New World School of the Arts in Miami under the direction of Daniel Lewis. Her training at New World influenced a vast performance career in her own “Telemundo Universe” for over a decade in Miami, and allowed her to develop her creative talents. In addition to performing, Fletcher’s choreographic works have been showcased in the South Beach Film Festival, Philadelphia Fringe Festival, The Palladium Theater, and at Studio@620 in St. Petersburg, where she collaborated with Leymis Bolaños Wilmott in “A Dance in 48 Hours,” a concept they hope to extend to Sarasota. Fletcher has also been on the faculty of The Pinellas County Counter Center for the Arts, Academy of Ballet Arts, and currently teaches at Gocio Elemen
tary School and The Sarasota Ballet School.
Who is Leymis Bolaños Wilmott?
Leymis Bolaños Wilmott is the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Sarasota Contemporary Dance, currently in its 11th season. She is the recipient of the 2008 Arts Leadership Award for Artistic Achievement from Sarasota Arts Council and the esteemed Dance Magazine award for Southeast Best Choreographer. She was one of five choreographers chosen to participate in the choreography intensive at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Ms. Bolaños Wilmott has created over 80 original works, performed nationally and internationally.
Evolving/Revolving
Thursday – Sunday May 11-14
Performances: 7:30 pm, except Sun 2:00 pm
Jane B. Cook Theater at the FSU Center for the Performing Arts, selection seating
Tickets: 941.359.0099 or online at www.sarasotacontemporarydance.org
About Sarasota Contemporary Dance
Sarasota Contemporary Dance was formed in 2002 as Fuzión Dance Artists, Sarasota’s first contemporary dance company, by Co-Founders Leymis Bolaños Wilmott and Rachael Inman. Now approaching its 12th season, the company was renamed in 2015, and continues to bring dance to the community through eclectic performances and educational programming, while collaborating with artists and community groups to enrich the human experience.
