Highlights of the Ringling International Arts Festival

The Ringling International Arts Festival (RIAF) struck gold, at least in the eyes of this year’s patrons. With high caliber performances throughout the five-day Ringling International Arts Festival, festival-goers seemed awestruck by the amount of talent and creativity displayed in performance after performance. Baryshnikov Arts Center’s artistic direction of the festival resulted in a blend of theater, music and dance from established artists as well as rising stars. The grounds of The John and Mable Ringling Museum lent the perfect setting for the festival, and ticket-holders received a special bonus with the opportunity to enjoy the grounds and museums between performances. This treat included in the price of a ticket was a welcome retreat from the dark theaters and was further enhanced by sublime weather throughout festival. Hopefully, locals who too often ignore the bounty the museum has to offer left with a new appreciation.

Here are just a few of the many highlights of the festival:

Mikhail Baryshnikov and David Neumann

With tickets that sold out months ago for this program of solos, I had little hope for gaining entry to Baryshnikov and Neumann’s performance. My sincere appreciation goes to the ticketholder of orchestra seat G4 whose failure to show gave me the opportunity to buy one of the best seats in the house at curtain time. The fact that Baryshnikov has no plans to perform at future RIAFs made this jackpot even bigger. Watching the grace and fluidity of this 62 year-old dancer was amazing. In Years Later, the juxtaposition of footage of a younger Baryshnikov dancing on the screen behind him provided a contrast between what was then and what is now with a clever twist.

Neumann whose dancing and choreography is trademarked by its humor was a joy to watch as well. With jazzy moves reflecting his background in street dance, the limberness of his body could only be envied. Both men received cheers and a standing ovation for their performance.

Sanda and the Takeishis

Without the festival, I would have never ventured upon Sanda and the Takeishi’s Romanian gypsy music. It is a gem that I’m glad I found. Festival-goers compared Sanda Weigl’s powerful voice to Judy Garland, Joan Baez and Edith Piaf. And there was definitely one song which echoed Tori Amos. I spent much of the performance mesmerized by the trio of Japanese musicians who composed Sanda’s band. The pianist alone could have kept me entertained for hours. A percussionist who sat seated on the floor and at one point played the flute simultaneously is only one glimpse of the unexpected in this performance.

Kate Davis

Jazz singer Kate Davis’ tender age of 19 was only evident when she spoke. When she sang, her voice reflected the maturity of jazz legends. Accompanied by David Goldblatt on piano and Todd Strait on drums, the 2009 Presidential Scholar, who sang while playing string bass, received a standing ovation for her rendition of songs like “Leaving for Paris,” “A Night in Tunisia” and from her Christmas album, “A Child is Born.”

Rubberbandance Group

Rubberbandance Group’s performance was one of several opportunities during the festival to see art like you’ve never seen. Victor Quijada’s dance fusion intertwines hints of classical and contemporary ballet, break, and hip hop to develop a style of dance that is all his own. With exceptional chemistry, the dancers demonstrated incredible athleticism, using movements in all its forms, as their bodies told the story. Like its name, the dancers demonstrated unparalleled elasticity. You could hear the uproar in the crowd when a phone went off in the theatre during the performance, but the ringing phone and loud conversation that ensued were only part of the light-hearted theatrics. There were other roars from the audience at the end of the performance along with gasps, and of course, a standing ovation.

In awe of the innovative artists, I left RIAF with exactly the outcome that I imagine programmers would have wished – with a renewed appreciation of the arts in all its forms, with a new awareness of those on the cutting edge, and in great anticipation of next year’s festival. And as I traversed the magnificent grounds of the Ringling Museum, I couldn’t help but feel grateful to call Sarasota home.

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