Voices Toward Tomorrow

63 Years of Movement. $63,000 for the Future.

For 63 years, Southern DanceWorks has used movement to tell stories, create connection, and strengthen community. Now, as we celebrate 63 years, we are turning our voices, our movement, and our collective imagination toward tomorrow.

Founded in Birmingham in 1963, Southern DanceWorks is one of Alabama’s longstanding professional dance organizations. Our mission is to cultivate an equitable organization that nourishes multidisciplinary dance with a global perspective while creating work that reflects the lived experiences of the communities we serve.

Today, under the leadership of Executive Artistic Director Germaul Barnes, that mission continues with renewed purpose: healing and restoring community through movement and connection.

Our work reaches far beyond the stage.

Through Dance for PD, movement creates opportunities for confidence, connection, joy, and possibility for people living with Parkinson’s.

Through Heart-to-Heart Workshops, people gather for movement, reflection, intergenerational dialogue, and honest conversation.

Through Germaul Barnes’ JOY Movement Technique, dancers and community participants explore rhythm, musicality, freedom, intention, presence, and human connection. Recent Southern DanceWorks residencies have taken this work to communities across Alabama.

Programs including Contemporary Improvisation for Black Men, Tiny Dance Band, community residencies, workshops, artist conversations, and performances create opportunities for artists and community members to gather, create, listen, and see one another differently.

Our recent production, James Baldwin: A Letter to My Nephew, demonstrates what this vision can become. Led by Barnes, this multidisciplinary project brought together dance, spoken word, music, film, workshops, and community conversation to explore identity, masculinity, vulnerability, healing, and shared humanity. Through partnerships with arts organizations, universities, cultural institutions, and community groups across Alabama, SDWx continues building bridges between artists and the communities they serve.

Why $63,000?

Southern DanceWorks turns 63 this year, and our goal is to raise $63,000 in honor of 63 years of movement, artistry, service, and community.

Your support helps us compensate artists, create new work, expand community programming, provide accessible workshops and residencies, build meaningful partnerships, and bring movement into the places where people live, learn, gather, and grow.

Your support moves.

It moves from a donation into an artist’s hands.

From an artist into a theater, classroom, workshop, neighborhood, or community gathering.

From movement into conversation.

From conversation into connection.

And from connection into healing and restoration.

Southern DanceWorks is not simply seeking one-time donations. We are building lasting relationships with individual donors, businesses, corporations, foundations, and community partners who believe that strong arts organizations help create stronger communities.

Voices Toward Tomorrow is more than a fundraising campaign. It is an invitation to help shape what comes next.

Whether you give $63, $630, $6,300, become a monthly donor, or join us as a corporate partner, your support helps Southern DanceWorks continue healing and restoring community through movement and connection.

Invest in movement.
Invest in artists.
Invest in connection.
Invest in community.

Add Your Voice. Help Us Move Toward Tomorrow.

Voices Toward Tomorrow Campaign Events

63 Years of Movement. $63,000 for the Future.