Whether it’s the African polyrhythms or James Brown’s exalted, aerobic treatment of the genre, few styles of music compel a body to move quite like funk. So, it was probably just a matter of time before Sarasota Contemporary Dance (SCD) and its troupe of expert movers decided to incorporate the music into a live performance that celebrates funk’s origins while reframing it in a fresh, modern way. The soundtrack for this collaboration is provided by none other than Reverend Barry & The Funk, the area’s eminent 8-piece funk band that features a 3-piece horn section. 

The Funk are fronted by bass player, bandleader and primary vocalist Barry Nicholson, while a bevy of Grammy-nominated musicians accompany Nicholson with expert virtuosity. With their high-energy mix of celebrated covers and dazzling originals, SCD was given plenty to work with. “The music created the space for fun and experimentation,” says artistic director and co-founder Leymis Bolaños Wilmott, who was inspired to choreograph dances specific to the individuality of each of the six SCD dancers pegged for the show. Without divulging too much, Wilmott says each dancer will have certain “obstacles” or “props” with them on stage as they perform to some undisclosed funk classics from James Brown and others, as well as the debut of original music from Reverend Barry & The Funk.

But in spite of the lighthearted fun of the music, collaborating and choreographing for the genre proved to be a worthwhile challenge. “Funk is so improvisational and fun,” says Wilmott, a contrast to the more formal approach of a typical SCD show. It was important that Wilmott find a balance between honoring the fun and subversive nature of the genre while still packaging it in a stage production that SCD feels familiar to audiences. And, of course, it all had to be framed in a way that was clearly contemporary. “There’s this implied fourth wall in our performances,” says Wilmott, “but I wanted to try and break it down a little bit to have a relational, call-and-response theme that was so central to the genre.”

The funky string of shows opens Thursday, December 5 at 7:30 pm and runs through Sunday, December 8 at the Jane B. Cook Theatre.  

Photo by Sorcha Augustine, "Dancer Monessa Salley showcases some funky bounce."

Sarasota Contemporary Dance, 1400 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota, 941-260-8485

Trendsetters, jetsetters and longtime gal pals, Aurelie van den Broek and Florence Derozier, worked together in the fashion industry for years in the stunning port city of Marseille, France. Upon migrating to sunny side Sarasota together, the two quaintrelles shared the same vision to create a “concept shop” through local pop-ups and trunk shows, as well as a strong online presence to create the recently launched, MOI Concept Store. “Through both of our world travels and personal connections, we have some great contacts in the world of fashion and decided to make our dream become a reality,” they share. The pair continue to travel the world in search of “unique products that elevate the everyday and bring joy through elegant design.” Aurelie and Florence handselect exquisite apparel lines, accessories, gift items, home, beauty and wellness. MOI Concept Store thus became an always-changing offering of brands from all over the world with limited distribution or exclusive pieces by working closely with small designers and artists—each bringing unique pieces of art and modern, elegant wares to the store. 

“When we open each package that arrives at our office, we are always overwhelmed by the beauty and quality of our pieces that we have just purchased,” they say. The latest package arrived from Brussels, Belgium—100% twill silk Nastritos, an elegant ribbon to wear around your neck, in your hair, as a bracelet or on your purse. The Nastritos were made exclusively for MOI by Roseline d’Oreye. Additionally, the shop carries custom jewelry from Florence Italy, dresses from San Diego, CA, shoes from the Netherlands, cuffs from Norwalk, CT and designer clothing lines from fashion-forward destinations like Korea, Vancouver and Brooklyn. MOI remains the only concept store in the US that carries many of these pieces. “This is exactly what we are working towards,” they say. “We want our customers to feel very privileged and we want to go the extra mile to make it happen.” 

These specially-chosen items are available on MOI’s website, as well as at occasional pop-ups and trunk shows around town. At their first pop-up held earlier this month, the MOI creators partnered with DreamLarge to host their event in the Rosemary District courtyard, and gave back 5% of all their proceeds to the Sandra Gal's Foundation. 

Pictured: Florence Derozier and Aurelie van den Broek presenting a check to Sandra Gal at MOI's first pop-up at the DreamLarge courtyard.

Shop MOI Concept Store.

The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art welcomes Lagartijas Tiradas al Sol theatre collective and their production of Tijuana. The performance, December 6 and 7 at 7:30 pm in the Historic Asolo Theater, is the staged result of a real anthropological theater experiment undertaken by Lagartijas ensemble member Gabino Rodríguez. Rodriguez abandoned his life in Mexico City to work on an assembly line in a Tijuana factory on the U.S. border. He passed under the false identity of Santiago Ramírez, wore a fake moustache, had no contact with friends, family, or colleagues and earned the legal minimum wage, which, according to the Mexican Constitution, “should cover the normal material, cultural and social needs of the head of a family and facilitate the compulsory education of his children.” His wage amounted to less than $5 per day. Rodríguez initially slips into his covert role without raising any suspicions and for which, like several million Maquiladora workers, the merciless exploitation of his physical strength and vitality is the price exacted free trade and company profits in
the Mexican border region. Soon, however, he becomes plagued by ethical considerations for his co-workers and the family of his landlord, all of whom trust the worker, Santiago Ramírez, although they are actually being used by a middle-class artist as research subjects for his theatre play.

Tijuana is the prelude to a large-scale political and social panorama entitled Democracy in Mexico (1965–2015), which is designed to be told in 32 parts—one for every Mexican state. It is the latest project of the Lagartijas Tiradas al Sol collective, which, since being founded in 2003, has explored the borders between documentary and fiction in various theatrical forms to reveal the contradictions in Mexico, thus aiming to use the theatre as a means of political mobilization. To date, six parts of this project have been realized.

Tickets can be obtained online at ringling.org or by calling 941-360-7399. Please Note: Tijuana is performed in Spanish with English supertitles. 

Discover Sarasota Tours launches a fun new holiday-themed tour at 2 pm Sundays and 11 am Wednesdays in December: the Holly Jolly Trolley Tour. Join guide Jenny Jingle for our special daytime holiday tour with cocoa, carols & Christmas stories of Sarasota. Visit city spots with Christmas story connections, hear about our Sarasota traditions during the holidays & sing along to your favorite Christmas songs. Prizes will be awarded for Best Ugly Sweater on every tour in December, so come dressed in your holiday worst. The tour will also include free cocoa at the Trolley Cottage. After, visitors can also enjoy the special Holiday Boutique in the Discover Sarasota Tours Vintage Sarasota Gift Shop, featuring work by local artists and makers—the perfect place to find unique local gifts. 

All tours depart from the DST Trolley Depot located at 1826 Fourth Street—a 1930s bungalow near downtown.Tour tickets & information can be found online at discoversarasotatours.com. For information call 941-260-9818. Private groups start at 10+ passengers; for more information, email tammy@discoversarasotatours.com.