SCD + The Barker Project 2026

To kick off its 21st season of Raíces y Vuelos, Sarasota Contemporary Dance partners with acclaimed bassist Johnnie Barker and The Barker Project for a high-energy collaboration that fuses live music and contemporary dance into an electrifying shared experience. Known for their signature “musical gumbo” of jazz, funk, blues, rock, and gospel, The Barker Project brings a fluid, improvisational sound world that meets SCD’s dynamic movement language in real time. The result is an unpredictable, exhilarating performance where music and dance spark, respond, and transform one another on stage—launching the season with bold creativity, deep roots, and fearless flight.