Discover life through dance

Dancer and choreographer Jennifer Nugent is developing a new solo piece, and Sarasota Contemporary Dance audiences can be a part of this process. She will present her work in progress “Up Against” as part of the company’s In-Studio series at 7 pm Friday and Saturday. The performance will be available in person, with a limited number of seats, and in a virtual live stream. Nugent says the play is a way to “articulate my curiosities” and that it is “that which encapsulates a living spirit”. Originally from Hollywood, Florida, Nugent has lived and worked in New York City since 1998 and has performed with Bill T. Jones / Arnie Zane Company, Martha Clarke and other companies. In-person performances are held at the SCD Studio at 1400 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota, Suite 300. Tickets are $ 20. Virtual tickets are paid what you can from $ 5 to $ 15. For more information: sarasotacontemporarydance.org

Sarasota Music Festival Finale

The abstract Sarasota Music Festival ends this weekend with two last concerts. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, pianist Anghie Zhang, member of the 2018 music festival, will perform Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann by Clara Schumann, “Gustave le Gray” by Caroline Shaw and Sonata No. 3 in B minor by Frédéric Chopin, Opus 58. Student at Juilliard, Zhang helped Shaw develop his piece, which was presented as part of a dance showcase in 2015. On Saturday at 7:30 pm, festival director and pianist Jeffrey Kahane will join the Calidore Quartet for a program featuring the Piano Quintet by Schumann in E flat major, Op. 44, and the Mendelssohn String Quartet no. 6 in F minor, op. 80. In-person seating at Holley Hall, 709 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, is extremely limited. All of the festival’s programs will be available to stream at home from June 24 to July 24. For more information: 941-953-3434; sarasotaorchestra.org

Ringling shines a spotlight on Asian artists

The Ringling Special Exhibition “Modern Kabuki” nearing the end of its race. The show, which runs until June 27, features a century of artwork showcasing Kabuki artists, who have long been considered superstars in Japan. Herald-Tribune art critic Marty Fugate said the images offer “a fascinating glimpse into a genre of visual art devoted to dramatic art. The story behind it is also dramatic. »The museum also presents “Sam Gilliam: Selections”, showcasing the work of one of our most important contemporary abstract artists, and a collection of works by Saito Kiyoshi, a key 20th century Japanese print artist. In the Community Gallery, the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce marks the centennial of Sarasota County by examining the relationship between John and Charles Ringling and the development of Sarasota. At 1 pm Thursday at the historic Asolo Theater, there will be a screening of the hit film “The Greatest Showman” starring Hugh Jackman as PT Barnum. For more information on all of the museum’s programs: ringling.org

Ballet and Hitchcock at the Opera

The Sarasota Opera House continues its series of classic films and performing arts this weekend with two screenings. At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Classic Films at the Opera feature Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Marnie’, starring Tippi Hedren as a kleptomaniac caught stealing by her latest employer, played by Sean Connery. Sunday at 1:30 p.m., the HD series at the Opera presents a filmed performance of Maurice Béjart’s Ninth Symphonic Ballet, to music by Beethoven. Presented by the Tokyo Ballet in the NHK Hall in Tokyo, it features conductor Zubin Mehta as the head of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. For more information on tickets for both screenings: sarasotaopera.org

Bishop opens renovated rehabilitation center

New Manatee Rehabilitation Habitat Parker welcomes two new manatees when it reopens to the public at the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature. Renovations began in March to provide what the museum describes as “a more naturally stimulating environment” that will help large mammals transition more effectively from rehabilitation to nature. It is designed to resemble a cypress spring. The two new residents of the manatees are Janus, a subadult female who was rescued in January from Philippi Creek in Sarasota. She weighed 295 pounds when rescued and 365 pounds today. Iclyn, another subadult female, was rescued in January from Whitaker Bayou in Sarasota suffering from cold stress. She weighed 360 pounds at the time and is now 7 feet tall and weighs 475 pounds. The museum is located at 201 10th St., West, Bradenton. For more information: 941-746-4131; bishopscience.org

Words and dance mark Juneteenth

The Straz Center for the Performing Arts marks Saturday, June 19 at 7 p.m. with the premiere of “Freedom Tree,” an original poetic word and a performance choreographed by members of the centre’s Veteran and Civilian Dance Ensemble. The program will also feature additional music and spoken word performances to recognize the national commemoration of the holiday that marks the end of the Civil War in 1865 and the emancipation of slaves in the United States. It will be featured on the centre’s Riverwalk stage as part of the REMIX artistic legacy. Tickets are free, but are required in advance at strazcenter.org

Sailor Circus goes to the movies

It might not be the same as being in the arena, but you can feel the thrills and excitement of the Sarasota Sailors’ Circus from the comfort of your own home in the group’s spring production “A Night at the Movies”. The Hollywood-inspired showcase is available for indefinite home streaming, along with past Circus Arts Conservatory productions, including “Prevail.” Long known as the greatest ‘little’ show on Earth, Sailor Circus features young performers performing on the flying trapeze, cloudswing, acrobatic roller skating, rolla bolla, Roman rings, wire and more. . Digital tickets cost $ 25. For more information: 941-355-9805; circusarts.org

Varied shows at the Art Center Sarasota

The Sarasota Art Center is back and is open to the public once again with four new exhibits on display in all four galleries through July 2. Exhibits include “Visual Poems: Work by Nancy Dillen,” highlighting paintings and graphite drawings of landscapes and creatures, and “Black, White, and Everything in Between: Work by Yamel Molerio,” whose art incorporates the overlap of paper, canvas, fabric and wood. “Duality: Sculpture by Dominice Gilbert” features large-scale sculptures in steel, bronze and copper, as well as an all-media-paneled jury exhibit called “Process”. Art Center Sarasota is at 707 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday. 941-365-2032; artsarasota.org

Music and laughter at the FST

The Florida Studio Theater is once again buzzing with shows on three different stages. At the Gompertz Theater, Kathy Halenda is back in one of the theater’s most popular and enduring performances, “Sophie Tucker: The Last of the Hot Red Moms.” She helped create the solo show with the late playwright Jack Fournier and director Richard Hopkins in 2000 and brought it back several times. She is accompanied on stage by musical director Jim Prosser. At Court Cabaret, you can find Jason Cohen, a veteran actor / musician who has appeared in “Million Dollar Quartet”, with “Big balls of fire.” It is a musical cabaret that celebrates the music and career of Jerry Lee Lewis, a wild man on the keyboard. And at 7:30 p.m. on Saturdays, FST Improv is back with new performances of “Life is a Beach,” which has a little fun life in Sarasota with the help of input from the audience. For tickets and more information on all upcoming shows and productions: 941-366-9000; floridastudiotheatre.org

Art counts at the Sarasota Museum of Art

Robert Colescott was a major figure in contemporary American art and represented the United States at the Venice Biennale in 1997. The artist, who died in 2009 after a career spanning nearly six decades, is the subject of the first complete retrospective of his work with the exhibition “Art and Race Matter: Robert Colescott’s Career. “ The exhibition, which originated at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, is now on view through October 21 at the Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College. It presents 54 works that span most of a career in which he has confronted issues of race, gender, identity and the realities of life in the second half of the 20th century. His works are filled with vibrant colors and images that cast a satirical look at the world and important issues. The museum is located at 1001 S. Tamiami Trail in the old Sarasota High School. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Wednesday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. The museum’s Bistro restaurant also features new menu items related to the exhibit. For more information: sarasotaartmuseum.org

Jay Handelman, editor-in-chief of arts and theater critic, has been editor and writer at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune since 1984. Read more of his stories on the arts and entertainment. And please support local journalism by subscribing to the Herald-Tribune.