Sarasota Contemporary Dance provides a variety of physically integrated dance and movement modalities for people in different stages of their lives and abilities.
Our Physically Integrated Dance Program includes Dance for Parkinson’s, Dance for Autism, and an ongoing collaborative choreographic process with artists from around the area, the country, and the world who are pushing the boundaries of dance and pushing past their physical challenges.
Artistic Director Leymis Bolaños Wilmott was the first in Florida to receive a Dance in Healing certificate (now developed as the Dance in Healthcare Certificate Program) from the University of Florida. In 2014 Sarasota Contemporary Dance was awarded the Arts & Cultural Alliance’s Leadership Award for Arts in Healthcare.
Contemporary Dance
Dance Performance
Physically Integrated Dance
Leymis Bolaños Wilmott is the Director, Co-founder, and a Choreographer for Sarasota Contemporary Dance. She is a recipient of the 2008 Arts Leadership Award for Artistic Achievement from the Sarasota Arts Council, the Sarasota Artist Fellowship, and was nominated by Sarasota Magazine as best choreographer in a musical for Miss Saigon presented at the Players Theatre. Wilmott received the esteemed Dance Magazine award for Southeast Best Choreographer and was listed in Sarasota Magazine as one of the top 28 Most Powerful People In The Arts. She was one of five choreographers chosen to participate in the Choreographer Intensive at Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival. Most recently, she has been invited to share physically integrated dance and choreography alongside colleague Dwyane Scheuneman who dances with the aid of wheelchair in the West Bank, and September 2015 in Argentina with Stephanie Bastos who dances with the aid of a prosthetic leg.
Her work has been performed nationally at the John F. Kennedy Center, Ailey City Group Theatre in NYC, Colony Theater and Jackie Gleason in Miami, as well as other numerous theaters and festivals throughout the country. Locally, she has choreographed for the Asolo Repertory Theatre, Westcoast Black Theater Troupe, Kaleidoscope, St. Petersburg College, Booker High School VPA, North Port High School, Riverview High School IB, Lakeview Elementary, Gocio Elementary, and Electa Lee Middle School. Wilmott continues to collaborate with renowned composer Edward Cosla, percussionist Scott Blum, Salvador Dali Museum, and with Francis Schwartz on Kinda Cage-y which has been seen all over the world as part of the John Cage Trust.
Ms. Wilmott is the first to receive a certificate in Dance and Healing from the University of Florida and has a Master of Fine Arts in Performance/Choreography from The Florida State University. Her deep love for dance and community building came to fruition in 2006 when she and Rachel Inman founded Sarasota Contemporary Dance Company. She continues to advocate as a Teaching Artist with the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota (EdExplore), Van Wezel Performing Arts, and Manatee Arts Council. She is also an Adjunct Professor of Dance at New College of Florida, certified Pilates Instructor at The Pilates Body, and currently serving as Vice President of the Florida Dance Association.
– Contemporary Dance Classes
– Red Tent Workshops
– Physically Integrated Dance
– Body Tool Kit
– Dance Performances
– Dance for Parkinson lead teacher
– Professor of Contemporary Dance
– Physically Integrative Dance Choreographer
Master in Fine Arts – Dance & Choreography from Florida State University
Bachelors in Fine Arts – Dance & Choreograph from University of Florida
Dance for PD certificate from the Mark Morris Dance Company completing two of their training program
Certificate from the University of Florida and Shands Hospital – Dance in Healing
Currently serving on the board of directors as Vice President for the Florida Dance Association
Teaching Artists for VSA and Edexplore
Adjunct Professor of Dance at New College of Florida – teaching courses in dance technique and choreographing including related topics like site specific and dance for Parkinson
Lead Dance Instructor for Dance for Parkinson at Parkinson Place
SCD, has received several grants local as well as state, a few to list TDT, Arts & Cultural Alliance, Women’s Exchange, and Florida State Department of Cultural Affairs.
