SCD + The Barker Project

Description

kick off its 21st season of Raíces y Vuelos, Sarasota Contemporary Dance (SCD) proudly announces…The Barker Project + SCD, a dynamic collaboration with locally renowned bassist Jonnie Barker and The Barker Project. This opening work brings together two creative forces united by a shared commitment to exploration, improvisation, and the fearless blending of artistic forms. After years of performing nationally and collaborating across genres, Jonnie Barker returned to his roots with a singular vision: to create a musical experience as fluid and unpredictable as the artists who shape it. What emerged is The Barker Project—a “musical gumbo” where jaxx, funk, blues, rock, and gospel converge into a living, breathing soundscape. Rather than a fixed band, it is a rotating collective of seasoned musicians, each performance shaped anew by the chemistry of the moment and the joy of spontaneous creation. In collaboration with Sarasota Contemporary Dance, this opening-season work transforms that sonic identity into a shared stage language in which movement and music respond to one another in real time. Dancers and musicians meet in a space where structure and improvisation coexist, amplifying the emotional range of both disciplines. The result is not just a performance, but an evolving conversation—rooted in tradition, lifted by risk, and propelled by discovery. As Raíces y Vuelos begins its 21st season, this collaboration sets the tone: honoring deep artistic roots while boldly taking flight into new creative territory. Performance Information: Dates & Times: Friday, October 2 at 7:30pm & Saturday, October 3 at 2pm and 7:30pm Location: Manatee Performing Arts Center 502 Third Ave W, Bradenton, FL 34208 Single Ticket Pricing: Rooted- $55 Flight- $40 Wing- $30 Fan Zone- $20 Students - $15 *For more information, please visit our website http://www.sarasotacontemporarydance.org or call our Box Office at (941) 260-8485