Sarasota Contemporary Dance launches its In Studio Performance Series this Friday and Saturday, February 15–16. Designed to serve as an incubation platform for dance makers at varying stages in their career and creative processes, this series offers a rare experience for choreographers and the Sarasota community to be a part of works in their birthing stages, as well as a platform for more seasoned dance makers to present new and exciting work in an intimate setting.

The series begins tonight at 7pm at the SCD Home Studio in the Rosemary District, where Michael Foley Dance will premiere a new half-evening length dance work, Persephone in Hell, and perform on both nights.  Persephone in Hell juxtaposes the Greek myth about the subjugation of a woman’s will in order to bring about the change of seasons through the lens of female power and agency. What would happen if all the Greek myths were wrong? Selected arias from operas composed by George Frideric Handel, sung by Nathalie Stutzman will underscore the dance performed by dancers Michael Foley, Heidi Brewer, Fernando Chonqui, Sadie Lehmker and Abigail Hinson. Friday will also feature new work from internationally recognized choreographer Pamela Pietro, while the Saturday performance will feature work from artist Megan Wors.

Tickets are $20.

Sarasota Contemporary Dance