The Ringling has announced the lineup for its 2023-2024 "Art of Performance" season in the Historic Asolo Theater. This season includes 12 mainstage performances encompassing dance, theater and music; six artist residencies; one work-in-progress showing; and more than a dozen free and discounted activities, such as master classes and artist talks. Performances will begin in October 2023 and continue through April 2024.

The Art of Performance series' goal is to embody inclusion, inspiration and excellence through performance programs that elevate community engagement, community partnerships and the exchange of ideas in collaboration with visiting artists.

Here's a look at what's coming up; unless otherwise noted, all performances will take place in the Historic Asolo Theater.

La Dame Blanche (Paris, France, via Havana, Cuba)

Oct. 20, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. 

Kicking off the Art of Performance series with her expansive mix of hip-hop, female empowerment and dancehall, singer-flutist and percussionist Yaite Ramos Rodriguez, a.k.a. La Dame Blanche, will deliver a powerful performance in the museum of art courtyard. Tickets: $35; $31.50 for Ringling members. VIP tickets are available for $125. VIP tickets include food, drink, priority parking and seating. 

Flamenco Mini-Festival

Nov. 2-5, 2023

Flamenco can evoke profound feelings of grief, triumph, tragedy, rejoicing and fear; it is also a dramatic embodiment of passion, courtship and conquest. This mini-festival presents some of flamenco’s hottest names, featuring the traditions of cante, baile and toque.  The two featured performances include Israel Fernandez and Diego del Morao  (November 2, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.) and Lo Preciso by Rafael Ramírez (November 4 and 5, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.), a solo dance performance accompanied by live musicians.

While in Sarasota, the artists will give flamenco dance and guitar masterclasses. Irene Rodriguez's dance class will take place Nov. 4, and Rafael Ramirez will offer both a guitar and a dance class on Nov. 5. Times are TBA.

Congo Jazz Band by Les Francophonies (France/Burkina Faso/Congo)

Nov. 16, 2023, at 11 a.m.; Nov. 17-18, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.

A tragic century of life in the Congo is brought to life through a concert of Congolese music, a form that was both monopolized by nationalist dictators and utilized by revolutionaries as a force for change. The work’s razor-sharp text cuts through musical interludes and moments of grave seriousness, balanced with comedic irony and an upbeat sound, and the performance will be in French with English supertitles. An artist talk with director Hassane Kassi Kouyaté will take place on Nov. 15, 2023; time is TBA.

La Santa Cecilia (Los Angeles)

Dec. 12, 2023, at 6 p.m.

La Santa Cecilia exemplifies the modern creative hybrid of Latin culture, rock and world music. Pan-American rhythms—including cumbia, bossa-nova, rumba, bolero, tango, jazz and klezmer—pulse within the band’s Mexican heritage. This concert will be held bayfront at The Ringling’s Ca’ d’Zan Campiello, and the evening will also celebrate the Virgen de Guadalupe’s Feast Day.

Micro Works-in-Progress

Jan. 27, 2024, at 7:30 p.m.

Catch the first glimpse of the newest performances being made in the Sarasota-Manatee area. The Ringling’s commitment to Florida-based artists includes emerging artists, and Micro Works-in-Progress provides local creatives a platform to advance new work in a semi-formal way in front of live audiences. 

Creole Soul by Etienne Charles (Miami via Trinidad-Tobago)

Feb. 15-16, 2024, at 7:30 p.m.

Jazz trumpeter Etienne Charles’ lush sound, varied compositional textures, and pulsating percussive grooves enable him to invoke trance as he both soothes and excites listeners. The Trinidad-born performer, composer and storyteller’s Sarasota premiere promises complexity and lots of swing.

Rave Lucid by Mazelfreten (France)

February 23-24, 2024; 7:30 p.m.

In a thrilling tribute to electro-dance, Rave Lucid combines choreographed movements at 120 beats per minute that require unfailing concentration. Hypnotic arm games celebrate the rave as a party, an organic trance, and a lucid state in which extreme control achieves perfect synchronization. While in Sarasota, the artists will give a masterclass based on their choreography; date and time TBA.

BélO (Haiti)

March 8-9, 2024, at 7:30 p.m.

Hailed as Haiti's musical ambassador to the world, BélO galvanizes the pride, cultural identity and resilience of the Haitian people.  The socially conscious singer-songwriter’s sound is a sublime mixture of jazz, worldbeat, rock, reggae and the Afro-Haitian traditional rhythms known as ragganga.

Florida Woman by Rosie Herrera (Miami) and Leah Verier-Dunn (Sarasota)

March 21, 2024, at 11 a.m., and March 22-24, 2024, at 7:30 p.m.

Florida Woman is a world premiere about the stereotypes and myths of life in Florida. Juxtaposing the lawlessness and freedom evoked by the “Florida Man” meme with the prevalence of restrictive laws on women's bodies, the performance interrogates the aesthetic beauty of Florida as a bastion for all things wild and hopeful. The artists will give an artist talk about their process while at The Ringling prior to their premiere; date and time TBA.

Un Poyo Royo (Agentina)

April 6, 2024, at 7:30 p.m.; April 7, 2024, at 5 p.m.; April 8, 2024, at 11 a.m.

In an empty locker room, two performers’ athletic bodies move fluently from wrestling to dance, acrobatics to physical comedy, in an irresistible distortion of the expectations of manhood. It's funny, raw, playful hour interspersed with competitiveness and camaraderie, as well as seduction and sabotage. While in Sarasota, the artists will give a movement masterclass based on their performance technique; date and time TBA.

The GoldenCrust Family by La Famille (Quebec)

April 18-20, 2024, and 7:30 p.m.; April 21, 2024, at 11 a.m.

The GoldenCrust Family is a kitschy, fun, humorous outdoor performance spectacle—trailer park style. In their RV, the tacky and raucous duo of La Famille present their comedy and circus show. They have the heart and the ambition—the only thing that's missing are the pyrotechnic effects, the technicians and, oh yeah, an entire cast of dancers.

Parisian Refraction, led by Samantha Bennet and George Nickson, ensembleNEWSRQ (Sarasota)

May 9-10, 2024, at 7:30 p.m.; May 11, 2024, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

This adventurous four-part series explores works and composers that either embody Paris, have been commissioned by groups in the city, or are deeply inspired or affected by the French capital. Performances showcase and highlight both the similarities and differences of musicians who have been changed by the City of Light. 

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage

Additionally, patrons will be able to celebrate Hispanic heritage throughout the 2023-2024 Art of Performance season. The following Hispanic-themed programs will take place.

DK Dance

Sept. 14-Oct. 12, 2023, 6:30-8 p.m. at Perret Performance Studio

Patrons are invited to participate in a salsa series with the Sarasota Latin dance instructors from DK Dance. Tickets: $12 per class for Ringling members or $50 for the entire series; $16 per class for non-members or $70 for the entire series. Students with ID can purchase $10 drop in tickets.

Films

Three films will focus on various genres of Ibero and Latin American diasporic performance: Calle 54 (Oct. 6 at 6:30 p.m.); In the Heights (Sept. 29 at 1 p.m.);  and Iberia (Nov. 3 at 1 p.m.).

Artist Residencies

Working in a variety of disciplines locally, nationally, and internationally, The Ringling's artist residencies allow artists the time, space and resources to experiment and iterate while prototyping works for public presentations, exhibitions and tours. This season’s artists-in-residence include Modesto “Flako” Jimenez, actor, playwright and Founder of Oye Group in Brooklyn, NY; Jasmine Hearn, dancer and choreographer from Houston, TX; Rosie Herrera, dancer, choreographer and director of Rosie Herrera Dance Theatre in Miami, FL; Leah Verier-Dunn, dancer, choreographer and director of Moving Ethos in Sarasota; Moira Finucane, performer, director and founder of Finucane & Smith in Melbourne, Australia; Brinae Ali, tap dancer and choreographer in Baltimore, MD; and John Heginbotham, dancer, choreographer and director of Dance Heginbotham in New York City.

Art of Performance season subscriptions begin at $120 and can be purchased at ringling.org or by calling (941) 360-7399. Single tickets will go on sale Sept. 1, 2023.