The Ringling Announces Schedule for Art of Performance Series

The Ringling is thrilled to announce the fall 2019 schedule for the Art of Performance series.  Elizabeth Doud, Currie-Kohlmann Curator of Performance Art, has created a slate of over a dozen internationally acclaimed artist companies that will electrify diverse audiences during multiple performances inside the walls of The Historic Asolo Theatre and beyond. The series will also offer a unique integration of community education opportunities, presented by visiting artists, including master classes, artist talks, workshops and outreach to local schools. Doud says her vision for the Art of Performance is “to engage audiences with performances that embody intensity, cultural specificity and unique contemporary narratives. This series will include live performances that honor both traditional forms and celebrate innovative approaches, creating diverse offerings for audiences to collectively experience live performance. The work that will be presented resonates with The Ringling’s mission of inclusion, inspiration and excellence.”

The season will kick-off Oct. 11-12 with a full evening performance by Nrityagram Dance Ensemble from India. One of the premier Indian Classical dance ensembles currently performing, Nrityagram is more than a dance company, and was founded as a village devoted to dance and the preservation of the Odissi classical dance tradition. The all-female ensemble’s daily life of intensive training and meditation brings to the stage compelling captivating performances that are at once sensual and lyrical. This work is performed with live musicians.

Audiences will be enchanted Nov. 6 and 7 by master flamenco artists Rafael Peral y Marisa Adame. Curated by the Casa Patas Flamenco Foundation, the new work Raíz de 4 honors the art of Flamenco by delving into its most primitive roots, evoking the convergence of cultures and the folklore of Spain. The purest styles of flamenco, such as romances (ballads), martinetes, fandangos and soleares are brought into the forefront in a performance made up of a cast of distinguished dance and musical artists. Song (cante), dance (baile), guitar (guitarra), and percussion (percusión) seamlessly convey a genuine love for this art form and take the audience on an intensely authentic and unswerving journey of sensations, and emotions.

Latin Jazz Piano will be showcased Nov. 15 and 16 in a solo concert by Gonzalo Rubalcaba. Pianist and composer Gonzalo Rubalcaba was already a young phenome with a budding career in his native Cuba when he was discovered by Dizzy Gillespie in 1985. Since, Piano & Keyboard Magazine selected him in 1999 as one of the great pianists of the 20th century, alongside figures such as Glenn Gould, Martha Argerich and Bill Evans; he has won two Grammys and two Latin Grammys, and established himself as a creative force in the jazz world.

Lagartijas Tiradas al Sol will present Tijuana Dec. 6 and 7. This Mexico-city based theater collective has created a suite of works that explore ideas of democracy in the 21st century, and blends them with narrative collages from Mexican history.  The solo work Tijuana is the staged result of a real anthropological theater experiment undertaken by Lagartijas ensemble member Gabino Rodríguez, in which he abandoned his life in Mexico City to work on an assembly line in a Tijuana factory on the U.S. border. Passing under a false identity for six months, he earned the legal minimum wage to explore how the current day Mexican working class survives. Performed in Spanish with English supertitles.

The 2019 season will conclude with performances Dec.12, 13 and 14 of ¡Vívelo! by Son Luna y Jóvenes Zapateadores from Mexico. ¡Vívelo! merges different rhythms and dance styles such as folkloric dance, contemporary, Spanish dance and African-inspired movements. Mexican musical ensemble Son Luna provides the traditional music of Veracruz, Mexico, and dance troupe Jóvenes Zapateadores showcase the evolution of Son Jarocho roots with different rhythms and dance styles. Masterfully displaying dance genres from the region, this production provides strong entry points for audiences of all ages seeking a highly energetic folkloric performance experience.

Spring programming will begin in January 2020. Audiences can look forward to a rich mix of national and international artists presenting original performance that traverses the disciplines of dance, theater, music, contemporary circus, puppetry and multimedia performance, including new music by a Spotlight Florida! Artist. Spotlight Florida! a program of creative residencies and public presentations to support performing artists living and making work in Florida launched in 2018.

The Ringling has a rich history in the presentation of artistic performance, dating back to the museum’s first director, A. Everett “Chick” Austin who had a pronounced interest in theater. Current director, Steven High says “Through the Art of Performance we are able to honor The Ringling’s prestigious history of providing a stage for important, international performers while also nurturing new, local talent via our working relationship with Spotlight Florida!. We believe this series will allow us to offer increased access to performances, thus fulfilling our mission to offer inclusion, access and inspiration to diverse audiences.”

Season tickets will go on sale Aug. 1, 2019, and are available by calling the box office at 941-359-5700 or online at ringling.org.