SouL in Motion Is Back — And This Time, It's the 80's

By John McDowell

Some things surprise you. I've been dancing — or trying to dance — for several years now. Amateur ballroom, the kind where you show up to lessons with two left feet and more enthusiasm than skill, and you slowly start to find your footing. Over that time, I've attended my share of showcases.

Studio showcases are a staple of the dance world, and they follow a familiar formula: a rented studio, folding chairs, a playlist of standard ballroom tracks, students taking turns showing off what they've been working on. They're warm, they're community-driven, and they're fun — mostly for the dancers themselves. The audience is there to cheer, not necessarily to be moved.

Then came SouL in Motion.

I'll be honest: I walked into Cook Theatre last October not entirely sure what to expect. In past years, I've been on the stage with Sanda as her student, the two of us performing a routine together the way she and her students typically do at showcases. This time, I was in the seats — front row, actually, with my wife beside me. And what unfolded over the next few hours genuinely caught me off guard.

This was not your typical studio showcase.

From the opening number, it was clear that Sanda had built something with a different purpose in mind. The choreography was sharp, intentional, and varied — ballroom, Latin, contemporary — each performance feeling like it had been crafted not just for the dancer, but for the audience. The pacing moved efficiently from one act to the next, with none of the usual lulls or awkward transitions.

The variety was extraordinary. Professional dancers. Passionate amateurs. Routines that ranged from technically stunning acrobatics to genuinely moving plots – and a little humor in between. It felt less like a showcase and more like a live variety performance at a proper arts venue — which, of course, it was.

Cook Theatre itself deserves credit. There's something about a real stage, real lighting, and 135 seats of expectant audience energy that transforms both the performer and the viewer. The space elevated everything. Every lift, every turn, every dramatic pause landed with the weight it deserved.

I left with that rare feeling you get after a truly great live performance — the one where you turn to the person beside you and say, wow! My wife and I have been to the Sarasota Opera House. We've seen La Bohème performed under those soaring ceilings. The feeling I had walking out of Cook Theatre wasn't entirely different from that. Sanda had built something I would absolutely pay to attend as a member of the public — not as a student, not as an insider, but just as someone who loves great performance.

That's a rare thing.

So when Sanda announced that SouL in Motion is coming back for a Second Edition, I wasn't surprised that the response from the community was immediate and enthusiastic. What did make me smile was the theme she chose.

The 80's.

Neon lights. Big energy. Music that makes it physically impossible to sit still. If the first SouL in Motion showed us what this production could be, the Second Edition — with the iconic decade of excess and electricity as its backdrop — is going to take it somewhere even wilder.

Here are the details you need:

Tickets are available via the QR code on the poster. If you want to be in the show, reach out to register as a performer:

📞 (941) 330-4142 ✉️ sl.danceworld@gmail.com

Whether you're a longtime member of the SouL Dance family, a curious newcomer, or simply someone who appreciates outstanding live performance, this is the kind of evening you clear your calendar for. The seats are limited, and after last year, they will go.

Don't miss it.

John McDowell is a longtime student of SouL Dance Studio and an amateur ballroom dancer based in the Bradenton/Sarasota area.