Begun as a partnership between the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art and the Baryshnikov Arts Center, the Ringling International Arts Festival (RIAF) has been an early season highlight since 2009, a fitting October kick-off setting the bar high for performances to come. In a broader sense, by regularly bringing contemporary performance art from across the globe, RIAF serves as a sort of cultural cornerstone, an affirmation of professed values and engine for growth, where audiences find both peace and provocation.

Phare, the Cambodian Circus, photo by Peter Phoeng

PHARE, THE CAMBODIAN CIRCUS, PHOTO BY PETER PHOENG

This year, in conjunction with the imminent opening of Ringling’s new Asian Art Center, RIAF organizers have harnessed this potential for the first (and possibly only) themed festival, bringing all seven performances from the Asian continent for an exploration of a heretofore underrepresented but rich cultural history and its inheritors, including circus performers from Cambodia, Indonesian vocalists, Chinese modern dance and a slyly subversive solo artist from Thailand. RIAF 2015 also holds the honor of landing the sole U.S. stop for an internationally touring dance troupe from China and being selected for the unveiling of Broadway puppeteer Tom Lee’s “Shank’s Mare,” before its world premier in New York later this year.

Ronnarong “Ong” Khampha, photo by Alex Kerr.

RONNARONG “ONG” KHAMPHA, PHOTO BY ALEX KERR.

“With the Center bringing a focus to the study and exhibition of Asian art, I wanted to do something in conjunction, but also reflective of how the Ringling operates as a whole,” says Dwight Currie, curator of performance at The Ringling and the face of RIAF. “And though the festival has not been consciously themed before,” he says, some may as well have been European-themed or Eastern European-themed given the performers. Currie considered spreading the celebration through the year, exposing the community to bits of Asian contemporary performance art with the New Stages series or something like that, but ultimately decided that the festival would be the ideal platform. “I thought the greater impact would come from RIAF,” he says. “It’s an opportunity.” To properly take advantage of this opportunity, Currie and the RIAF team reached out to an old friend with close ties to both RIAF and contemporary Asian performance.

Jen Shyu, photo by Steven Schreiber.

JEN SHYU, PHOTO BY STEVEN SCHREIBER.

Enter Stanford Makishi, executive director for the Baryshnikov Arts Center at the time of RIAF’s conception and current vice president of programming at New York City Center. At the time of Currie’s call, Makishi was also serving as director of programs and deputy director for the Asian Cultural Council, an organization that fosters artistic and cultural exchange between Asia and the U.S., making him perhaps the best person to call, according to Currie. “We always look for variety. We always look for those artists who possess a certain virtuosity and we didn’t want to go for the obvious,” he says. “[Makishi] was really a guiding hand in that.”

“Performance art from Asia is somewhat underrepresented in the U.S. in general,” says Makishi, speaking from his office in New York. In his experience, the average American’s knowledge of Asian performance extends little beyond classic images of court dances and Chinese operas, though he admits he’s generalizing and suspects Sarasota audiences may buck the trend. “This was a tremendous opportunity for the festival, artists from Asia and, most of all, for audiences in Sarasota.” But opportunity often entails challenge, and Makishi says there are several salient reasons Asian art remains underrepresented in the U.S. The distance is an obvious one, only exacerbated by the complexities of international taxes, performance rights and the requisite visa snafus, not to mention the economic hurdles. “Frankly, it’s just really expensive and financially risky,” says Makishi, before bringing it all back to his primary concern: will the audience be there? To balance audience accessibility with the desire to bring something new is a delicate task, but that’s RIAF. “The responsibility of any programmer is to keep the audience in mind,” says Makishi, also juggling the impossible task of trying to represent an entire continent with seven performances. “We wanted to go with what is new and contemporary and forward-looking, just as we have with all RIAFs,” says Currie, pausing for a moment before opting for bluntness. He leans in. “It’s the 21st century in Asia, too.” “We did try to represent as much of the Asian continent as possible,” says Makishi. “I hope the audience connects, that they realize contemporary Asia is not that different from contemporary America, in terms of what artists are searching for.”

Phare: The Cambodian Circus One of only a handful of “truly exportable” Cambodian performances, according to Makishi, “the show itself is a slice of contemporary Cambodian life.” Taking place within the confines of an offbeat and raucous rock bar, the show, Khmer Metal, explores the modern urban nightlife of Cambodia’s youth scene with a high-energy and eclectic performance that’s part rock show, part circus and part slapstick comedy. With circus-inspired acrobatics, including tightrope walking, classic feats of strength and even archery spilling out across the chaotic stage, the feeling is contagious. 

Peni Candra Rini A national icon in her home country of Indonesia, vocalist and composer Peni Candra Rini performs at the forefront of the young Indonesian artists keeping traditional music alive in the modern age. Using only traditional instruments, such as the Gamelan, Rini’s compositions evoke a stark hypnotism, simultaneously minimalist and layered, drawing the audience in with its frenetic stillness. “She is that rare young performer,” says Makishi, losing his thought for a moment, “The most angelic voice.”

Tao Dance Theatre Makishi dubs Tao “one of the most exciting and important contemporary dance companies in the whole of China,” bringing a minimalist but virtuosic approach he calls “extremely elegant and beautiful.” Performing Weight X 3, a trio of performances accompanied by the work of minimalist composer Steve Reich, the show is composed of two duets and one solo performance.  Currently on a 2015 World Tour, RIAF is the only U.S. stop.

Tom Lee A pedigreed puppeteer with credits to his name such as the Broadway run of War Horse, Tom Lee brings his latest puppet-themed show, Shank’s Mare, to RIAF for a special sneak preview before the show’s New York City world premiere in late 2015. Created in collaboration with Japanese puppetmaster Koryu Nishikawa V, the American Lee draws heavily from Japanese traditions, such as Kuruma Ningyo puppetry, for this show exploring life, death and tradition. A stroke of luck, fortuitous timing and Makishi’s friendship with Lee brings this sneak preview to Sarasota. “I thought, ‘What a special thing—to give RIAF audiences a sneak peek at something truly gorgeous,’” says Makishi.

Orkes Sinten Remen Helmed by the charismatic frontman and artistic director, Djaduk Ferianto, Orkes Sinten Remen brings all the intimate wonder and conviviality of Indonesian folk music to the stage in a rousing and boisterous performance. Singing in their native tongue and utilizing traditional Indonesian instruments alongside modern Western ones, the members eschew unnecessary gravitas in their shows that separates performer from audience, and evoke more a small-town community feel. “[Ferianto’s] music is so charming,” says Makishi, who describes feelings of vague nostalgia upon listening to them play. “One need not understand Bahasa Indonesia to appreciate the music because it’s just so lovely.”

Ronnarong “Ong” Khampha Presenting his semi-autobiographical and “heart-wrenching” dance theater My Name Is Ong, Khampha brings traditional Thai dance to modern audiences with fluidic grace, confidence and a contemporary twist. “He’ll show what to your eyes may look like traditional Thai dance, because of the slowness of it,” says Makishi, but looking closely, Khampha plays with conventional gender roles, weaving customarily female styles and movements into his self-expression. “Because that comes out of a practice so deeply rooted in tradition, it is somewhat subversive,” says Makishi.

Jen Shyu Beginning as a jazz singer, before traveling across Asia and studying the traditional vocal techniques from cultures in Taiwan, Korea, Indonesia and more, the Taiwanese-American multi-instrumentalist Jen Shyu has garnered critical acclaim across the world for her virtuosic control. “Strangely, I would even use the word ‘multi-vocalist,’” says Makishi of Shyu’s varied vocal identities, mixing and matching from her and the region’s past yet still telling a contemporary story. “It’s hard to believe one can be led through this vast geography through her performance. I find her fascinating.” Shyu brings her show Solo Rites: Seven Breaths.