2025 – 2026 Art of Performance at The Ringling

Now in its 74th year at The Ringling, The HAT (Historic Asolo Theater) continues to hum with rare spectacle, artistic mastery, and risk. This illustrious arts temple is one of Sarasota’s portals to the past, present, and future of performance: At once an historic venue that hosts the famous and unknown theater spirits of old, a container for the exhilarating and relevant performance expressions of today, and an incubator for the visionary performance of tomorrow. This season’s ephemeral arts offer sublime and intelligent elucidation of a world that increasingly flouts human understanding. As an antidote, we are serving up performance with the wondrous and friendly audacity that is The Ringling’s special sauce. Take the whimsical virtuosity of each artist as assurance that art heals, explains and rebuilds in both direct and mystical If we could bottle the essence generated by the rhapsodic prayer, dazzling imagination, and divine precision of each show, we would. But such is the of live performance—it defies objectification, activates our senses with that often don’t have words and can only be held in our attention while being produced in real time from the HAT stage. Get some before it’s gone!

SAT, OCT 18, 7:00PM

Performance

VIP Reception

Meet the Artist

SUN, OCT 19, 5:00PM

Performance only

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MASTERCLASS

SUN, OCT 19, 10:00 AM

Translated as “couplet”, Dohā is the culmination of a year-long residency at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and navigates the relationship between prayer and play. In this work, celebrated dancer and choreographer Bijayini Satpathy’s quest to expand Odissi dance’s physical vocabulary unfolds the skeletal nuances of its lexicon to find abundance and sensuality within its austere palette. In her choreography, Bijayini abandons traditionally theistic depictions to emphasize the bhāva—the emotional experience—of prayer as an embodied human act. Through intricately patterned choreography, she constructs her own solitary rituals, oscillating between precision and spontaneity and embracing playfulness as an essential part of the individual’s search for the divine.

Classical Indian Dance

Dance

THU, OCT 30, 7:30PM

FRI, OCT 31, 7:30PM

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MASTERCLASS

TUE, OCT 28, 6:30 PM

FILMS

Three Carlos Saura films featuring Antonio Gades

OCT 20 & OCT 23

Rafael Ramírez brings his latest Chronicle of a time that was , a flamenco dance performance with live music in tribute to renown flamenco dance and film phenomenon Antonio Gades on the 20th anniversary of his death.

Far from a biographical production, Ramírez takes inspiration from key moments in Gades’s life to explore his essence, his audacity, and his innovative vision. Using flamenco as its guiding structure, the performance crosses contemporary and avantgarde lines, making it clear that Gades’s stagecraft remains relevant and powerful.

FRI, JAN 23, 7:30PM

SAT, JAN 24, 7:30PM

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ARTIST TALK

TUE, JAN 20, 7:00 PM

FREE with Registration in collaboration with WSLR @ Fogartyville

525 Kumquat Ct, Sarasota

The critically acclaimed Kavita Shah Quintet explores Kavita’s original compositions, arrangements of jazz standards, and music from around the world. Incorporating themes of diaspora into her work, Kavita uses her background in ethnomusicology, her linguistic fluency in nine languages and an in-depth knowledge of various cultural traditions to place seemingly eclectic and diverse music elements in dialogue with one another. Kavita has toured with her band across the US, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, and Spain on such stages as the Kennedy Center, Blue Note, Jazz Standard, BRIC JazzFest, Melbourne International Jazz Festival, San Jose Jazz, and Winter Jazzfest, among others.

Tap + Piano

SUN, FEB 8, 5:00PM

constellations linking their disparate traditions, driving the imagination, and opening the heart. The stylistically diverse music of Counterpoint includes the Aria from Bach’s Goldberg Variations, Art Tatum’s demented stride piano, Arnold Schoenberg’s ironic take on the Viennese waltz, a delicate miniature from Tao and Teicher’s More Forever, and a work that bridges traditions, approaches, and styles— Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.

FEB 28, 7:30PM

MAR 1, 5:00PM

Mar 4–6, 7:30PM

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ARTIST TALK

TUE, MAR 3, 7:00 PM

FREE with Registration in collaboration with WSLR @ Fogartyville 525 Kumquat Ct, Sarasota

vocals, cardboard shipping boxes for percussion, and other instruments to create an expansive solo symphony. Weaving narrative layers throughout, Oluo shares deeply personal reflections and darkly humorous accounts of strangers, acquaintances, and friends that conjoin with the music to create a singular, transcendent experience. The Things Around Us is an evening that will draw you in and remind you of the beauty in life.

by

folk Music + fiddle

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ARTIST TALK

FRI, MAR 13, 7:00 PM

FREE with Registration in collaboration with WSLR @ Fogartyville

525 Kumquat Ct, Sarasota

Newport Folk Festival, NPR’s Tiny Desk, among other venues. He has presented his scholarly work at museums and universities including the Smithsonian Institution, Berklee College of Music, and Yale University. Blount was nominated for Artist of the Year at the 2023

International Folk Music Awards and his album, The New Faith, is part of the Smithsonian Folkways Recordings’ African American Legacy Series.

Santé!

Fri, MAR 27, 7:00PM sat, MAR 28, 3:30PM sat, MAR 28, 7:00PM Sun, Mar 29, 5:00PM

Outdoor Seating

$5 Admission to the Circus Museum with your ticket! Purchase tickets at the Admissions counter on the day of your show.

Le Cirque Kikasse is a wild and interactive acrobatic show. It’s an extraordinary mobile circus where trampoline, balance, and juggling meet in a unique party zone. An original, professional, and safe (circus) stage where shows of exceptional quality are presented, accompanied by an offering of craft beers and delectable meals taken on the go. Snacks and beverages on offer before and after every show!

MIME + lip-sync

fri, APR 17, 7:30 PM SAT, APR 18, 7:30 PM

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Celebrate World Circus Day! In honor of the Circus Arts, tickets to this performance are Pay What You Wish— starting at $4.18. On April 18, the Circus Museum is free of charge, so plan time to visit before you come to the show!

performance, Rosso morphs his body and face into a kaleidoscope of characters and absurdities, exploring themes of isolation, hyper-connectivity, and human expression. Set to an eclectic soundtrack—from Mariah Carey to Mozart—Apocalipsync takes us on a hilarious, poignant journey. Rosso’s explosive presence and creative brilliance promise an hour of pure, unfiltered energy where comedy meets virtuosity.

fri, MAY 8, 7:30PM

An evening of small, potent doses of works in progress by Sarasota and Manatee County performance makers. Catch the first glimpse of the newest performances being made in the Sarasota-Manatee area. Now in its fourth year, MicroWIP Micro Works in Progress provides local creatives with a platform to advance new work and take creative risks in front of live audiences.

ART OF PERFORMANCE

WORKS IN PROGRESS

Artists in Residence

The Ringling hosts performance-based artists in residence from a variety of disciplines. Creative residencies reinforce the essentials for artistic development: time, space, and resources to experiment and iterate while prototyping works for premieres and touring. Most new performance works develop in multi-year incubation periods, and this is why artist residencies privilege process over product. While less visible than mainstage productions, these amazing creatives will be in residence @the HAT in 2025–2026 making the performance of tomorrow.

DAHLAK BRATHWAITE is known for his playwrighting, solo performance work, and comedic and theatrical use of the hip hop vernacular. Dahlak’s new work, COMMERCIAL, dramatically integrates generative AI and features his interpretation of multiple characters in suspenseful narratives based on his life.

Spotlight Florida

LAMICHAEL LEONARD is an internationally recognized dance artist and Booker High alum. He returns to Sarasota from The Lido Cabaret in Paris, France, where he was the first black principal dancer and Master of Ceremonies after a nine-year tenure with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company and as a soloist with The Martha Graham Dance Company in New York City. He has a BFA from New World School of the Arts and is an MFA/MBA candidate at Jacksonville University. In 2025/26, Leonard continues his choreographic exploration and contemporary movement masterclass at The Ringling.

YOLEIDY ROSARIO-HERNANDEZ is a trans Afro-Dominican and Taíno artist whose interdisciplinary practice weaves memory, identity, and ancestry as acts of cultural survival and sites of liberation. Ze holds a B.A. in Theatre and English from Dickinson College and conducted doctoral studies in Theatre of the Americas at Arizona State University. Founder and Executive Artistic Director of Mosaic Movements, ze works at the intersections of art and resistance where storytelling becomes a tool of transformation and collective power. While in residence at The Ringling, ze is developing Tangled Roots, a multidisciplinary play exploring queer AfroDominican and Taíno identity.

Related Programs

In addition to attending performances, you can engage with artists and live arts in meaningful ways through masterclasses, artist talks, and films. Register for these exciting free or low cost activities and films on ringling.org.

maSTEr ClaSSES

Skill building and experimentation with visiting artists in the Perret Performance Studio.

FilmS

A mix of National Theatre Live screenings and curated performance films.

ArtiST TAlkS

Intimate dialogues with visiting artists, scholars, and community regarding themes and performance practice.

“Different from anything else in Sarasota”

2026/27 Season {Sneak Peek}

Thu, Apr 23, 5:00 PM

Want to be the first to know about what’s coming to the most adventurous, global and unexpected performance series in Sarasota? Join Curator of Performance Elizabeth Doud and the HAT Team for a performance preview happy hour to discuss the coming attractions for the 2026/27 Art of Performance season.

Join us this season at the HAT’s pre- and post- show hang out!

Grab a drink, chat with friends, and discuss the performances in the Benfer Courtyard, a casual, outdoor neighborhood space. See you @ the HAT Lounge!

ART OF PERFORMANCE + HISTORIC ASOLO THEATER TEAM

Elizabeth Doud, Currie-Kohlmann Curator of Performance

Gary Bower, HAT Production Manager | Sydney Lemelin, Assistant Performance

Producer | Tom Darby, HAT Technical Assistant | Jackie Richards, HAT Stage Manager | Rebecca Baker, Box Office Manager | Linda Vreeland, Front of House Manager. We regularly count on the technical support of IATSE (The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) Local 412.

TICKETS

Are you HAT-curious or already a HATsubscriber and ready for more? Whetheryou are a loyal fan or brave newbie, we have ticket options foryou!

SINGLE TICKETS

Starting at $40

SUBSCRIPTION PACKAGES

For maximum savings and advance planning benefits!

Starting at $140

MEMBERS SAVE 10%

On all tickets and subscriptions.

STUDENT + ACTIVE MILITARY

Tickets $10

HOW TO ORDER ONLINE ringling.org BY PHONE 941.360.7399

IN PERSON

Historic Asolo Theater Box Office in the Kotler-Coville Glass Pavilion

Open 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

“And into the theater I go... to lose my mind and find my soul! ”

—HAT Subscriber

THE ART OF PERFORMANCE / THE RINGLING / FSU

The Ringling’s Art of Performance season delivers broad access to provocative and timely performing arts that reflect a wide range of experiences, disciplines, and relevant cultural expressions. The series embodies The Ringling’s values of inclusion, inspiration, and excellence through performance programs that elevate community engagement, community partnerships, and the plural exchange of ideas in tandem with visiting artists. Besides presenting live arts throughout the museum, the program supports Florida-based, national, and international performance makers in developmental residencies and creative research in our theater facilities.

The Ringling is the State Art Museum of Florida administered by Florida State University. It features an art museum, historic mansion, circus museum, historic theater, conservation center, arboretum, and research library, situated on 66 acres of spectacular bayfront property in Sarasota. The Ringling is an extraordinary center of art and culture engaging with the local, state, and global communities and is accessible to and inclusive of all. Visit ringling.org for more information about The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The Ringling respectfully acknowledges that we are located on the traditional Homelands and the ancestral territories of the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, as well as the ancient tribes of the Calusa, Uzita and Tocobaga. We also acknowledge the local freedom-seeking community called Angola, and the people later known as Black Seminoles. We honor the resiliency of Indigenous communities, and we extend our gratitude as we live and work on their Homelands. We pay our respect to the Elders, both past and present, who have stewarded these lands and waters through generations since time immemorial.

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

The Art of Performance program is supported in part by Art of Performance Endowment, Arthur F. and Ulla R. Searing Endowment, Dorothy Jenkins Ringling Museum Endowment, Ed and Elaine Keating Endowment, Ellin Family Art of Our Time Endowment, Leon and Margaret Ellin Fund, Mandell and Madeleine Berman Foundation Endowment, Selby Foundation Endowment, Stanley and Gloria Goldman Endowment, Michael and Kathy Bush, Warren R. and Marie E. Colbert, William C. and Joyce K. Fletcher, Richard and Ellen Sandor, and Judith and Stephen Shank.

You, Too, CAn bE A bold SuppoRTEr oF thE Art of pErFoRmAnce bY becoming a SponSor!