Spaciousness: Movement Workshop with LaMichael Leonard
In a city accustomed to watching movement—from the grand physical vocabulary of ballet to the casual choreography of boats, birds and pedestrians along the bay—“Spaciousness” proposes a different kind
By Edit Sarasota Staff
In a city accustomed to watching movement—from the grand physical vocabulary of ballet to the casual choreography of boats, birds and pedestrians along the bay—“Spaciousness” proposes a different kind of attention. The movement workshop, led by LaMichael Leonard, invites participants to consider what happens when the body is given room to listen, respond and expand.
That idea feels particularly resonant in Sarasota, where performance is woven into the community’s identity but access to artistic practice can sometimes remain separated from the stage. A workshop offers another entry point: not the polished spectacle of a finished work, but the exploratory space behind it. Participants need not arrive as trained dancers. They arrive with a body, a curiosity and a willingness to notice.
The title suggests an inquiry as much as a class. Spaciousness can be physical—the reach of a gesture, the distance between bodies, the use of a room—but it can also be emotional and imaginative. In an era of compressed schedules and constant digital noise, making space is not an abstract exercise. It is a way of recovering perception: feeling the floor beneath the feet, tracking breath, recognizing the possibilities within a pause.
Leonard’s leadership gives the workshop a distinctly artist-centered frame. Rather than treating movement as a set of steps to master, the session is positioned as an encounter with presence and possibility. That approach reflects the value of Sarasota’s broader arts ecosystem, where established institutions and independent practitioners continually create opportunities for residents to participate, not merely observe. The most lasting cultural experiences often begin this way—in a room where people are invited to try something unfamiliar alongside one another.
“Spaciousness” may appeal to dancers, but its reach is wider. Artists seeking a fresh physical language, performers working through creative blocks, and anyone interested in reconnecting with the intelligence of the body can find a meaningful point of entry. It is an opportunity to slow the pace without becoming passive, and to discover that stillness, too, can be active.
LaMichael Leonard’s “Spaciousness: Movement Workshop” takes place Monday, September 14, 2026, at its designated Sarasota workshop venue; participants should consult the event organizer for the exact location, schedule, registration requirements and any clothing or accessibility information before attending.