SRQ DAILY Oct 17, 2025
Friday Weekend Edition
"After I had created four space specific works, I took essential ideas from each one of them and put them together into this piece called Doha."
This weekend, The Ringling’s Art of Performance season will open with performances of Bijayini Satpathy’s contemporary classical piece, Doha, on October 18 and 19. Satpathy, an internationally recognized master of Odissi, the oldest surviving classical dance of India, created Doha over the course of an artist residency at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In Doha, Satpathy seeks to expand the physical vocabulary of Odissi, while challenging the traditional theistic depictions that permeate the art form and replacing ideas of “prayer” and “play” with stillness, meditation and exaltation. Below is an excerpt from the full Q&A interview that will be in the December 2025 issue of SRQ Magazine.
SRQ: What is Doha and how did the performance come to be?
Satpathy: I have been working at expanding the training and performance vocabulary of Odissi for a very long time and this work is where I was the most experimental. Because it was an artist in residency program, I considered this as a study more than a performance or a statement. I had lots of questions surrounding Odissi—I’ve been training in this medium for 45 years—so I gathered all of those questions into a practical investigation of the form, addressing them in various cultural setups in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Finally, after I’d created four space specific works, I took essential ideas from each one of them and put them together into this piece called Doha. It has only been performed twice—first at the Met, where I created the work as the culmination of my one and a half year artist residency there, and then again in April 2025 in India. Sarasota will be the first touring destination of Doha.
SRQ: In creating Doha, what were some of the questions that you had surrounding the Odissi dance form?
Satpathy: Odissi is a very regional art form. It comes from the state of Odisha in East India and is very specifically connected to the local culture. It comes from the language, the way language is composed in prose and poetry, the way language induces emotion in real life; as well as the literature, architecture and all kinds of design ideas that exist in the land of Odisha. It is also part of the worship rituals in the temples of Odisha and has been given the status of one of the national dance forms of India. My questions were about the regionality of Odissi—is Odissi only regional? Does it exist just in the specific aspects of its connection to Odisha, the land where it originated, or is it a global movement language?
October 18-19, Historic Asolo Theater at The Ringling, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, 3423, 941-630-7399 
Provided photo.
The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall is thrilled to welcome MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER CHRISTMAS by Chip Davis to Sarasota on November 18, 2025 at 7 p.m. Tickets are currently on sale. Tickets start at $56 and can be purchased at VanWezel.org, by calling 941-263-6799 or by visiting the Veteran Air Box Office at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Groups of 10 or more should contact 941-263-6726. Grab and go dining options are available through Mattison’s at the Van Wezel which is located inside the Hall. Select shows may have dinner service available. Reservations can be made on VanWezel.org or through the Veteran Air Box Office.
Selby Gardens is excited to collaborate with British contemporary artist, Rebecca Louise Law, on The Orchid Show 2025 at the Downtown Sarasota campus. Exploring the theme of survival, the exhibition features an immersive art installation of preserved flowers by Law in The Richard and Ellen Sandor Museum of Botany & the Arts. Accompanying Law’s installation is a striking presentation of living orchids and other plants in the Display Conservatory, designed by Selby Gardens’ horticulture team. The spectacular results blur the lines between art and nature in unexpected ways.
The Jason Marsalis Quartet and Nicole Henry and her Quartet open the Jazz Club of Sarasota's 46th Season on Saturday, November 1. Doors at 6pm
Riverview Performing Arts Center, 1 Ram Way, Sarasota.
Azara Ballet, a non-profit professional dance company, will be performing “Encore”, their debut performance of the 2025/2026 season. Encore is a compelling evening of audience favorites that have defined Azara Ballet’s artistic voice. This richly woven program features two poignant works by Martin Flowers—Kodumaa and Lost & Found—alongside Joshua Stayton’s striking Symphony, Leiland Charles’ ethereal Divine Serenity, and Olivia Huseonica’s heartfelt Is This What Love Is. Together, these pieces offer a dynamic and emotionally resonant journey through themes of identity, connection, and transformation. For more details visit AzaraBallet.org.
The 34th Annual Farm City Week Agricultural Tour in Manatee County is a fun-filled, day-long, chartered bus tour that will take place on Friday, November 14, 2025 from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm. Attendees will get a rare opportunity to go behind-the-scenes of some of our county’s historic farms, nursery and fishery operations. Farm City Week serves as a powerful reminder of just how vital the relationships are between farmers, consumers, community leaders and everyone in between who contributes to our safe, abundant food supply. Farm City Week highlights the incredible effort and dedication that goes into producing the food that we consume every day. From planting and harvesting to processing and packaging along with transporting products and getting them to store shelves. Countless individuals and industries work together to make this happen. This week gives everyone an opportunity to celebrate the hard work that goes into agriculture production and provides an opportunity to educate the public about where their food comes from and how it is produced. The tour is $75 per person plus Eventbrite fees and includes transportation, lunch, water, snacks, and entry to each location. Reservations are required by November 1, 2025.
Uplift is a community naming project that celebrates the people who make a lasting difference close to home. At Save Our Seabirds, every ambassador bird carries a story - and through this initiative, we honor those whose stories inspire, support, and strengthen others by sharing their name with an incoming resident bird. Just as these birds depend on the lift of the wind to stay aloft, we depend on the lift of good people to keep us soaring. The organization is looking for help naming this hawk in honor of someone who’s made an impact in the Sarasota area. For more information or to submit a nominee, visit saveourseabirds.org/uplift by 5pm on October 26, 2025.
Thank you to everyone who joined the grand opening of ALSO Youth’s new Sarasota Center. Your support, smiles, and energy made the morning truly special. To those who couldn’t make it, we missed you! We hope to welcome you into our new space soon to see firsthand how your support helps empower LGBTQ+ youth across Sarasota and Manatee Counties. A special thank-you to Gulf Coast Community Foundation for sponsoring the event and to Toby Deutsch for generously underwriting our first year of rent. Because of you, this new chapter is possible. We’re also deeply grateful to HOODē for creating our community art piece to BLVD Cafe for providing the delicious pastries that fueled our morning celebration, and to Robert McQueen and 1 Hot Cookie and Ice Cream for the iconic ALSO Youth celebration cookies! Together, we’re continuing to build a community where every young person can feel safe, seen, and celebrated.
There's much ado about something in this whip-smart, laugh-out-loud new romantic comedy from Lauren Gunderson. Lady Disdain is a fast-paced, razor-sharp riff on the deliciously dramatic world of Fantasy Romance novels (yes, those ones-you know them, you love them). Beatrice and Benedict, rival audiobook narrators with voices made for swooning and tempers made for sparring, are locked in a battle of wits, words, and wildly inconvenient attraction. Asolo Rep proudly presents this world premiere from one of America's most celebrated and funny playwrights.
Asolo Repertory Theatre, 5555 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
ArtCenter Sarasota continues its Centennial Season with Medium Mutiny, a juried exhibition selected by Ed Swan Jr. that celebrates boundary-pushing works challenging tradition through bold experimentation in form, material, and concept. Solo exhibitions include Living by the Water by Cat Tesla, whose serene, abstract paintings reflect a journey of healing and transformation inspired by Florida's landscapes. A new body of work by Anja Palombo, blending her deep love of nature and art history into expressive visual narratives. In Architect as Artist, co-curated by Morris Hylton III, Sarasota-based architects including Carl Abbott, Jerry Sparkman, and Javi Suárez present multidisciplinary works that blur the line between design and fine art. This group exhibition honors Sarasota's architectural legacy and highlights the creative synergy between structure, space, and artistic vision.
ArtCenter Sarasota, 707 N Tamiami Trl, Sarasota
Two of Sarasota’s finest step into the spotlight with a program that basks in the magical sounds of their ancient instruments. Accompanied by strings and harpsichord, Sarasota Orchestra principal oboe Bobby Nunes and principal harp Phoebe Powell each perform a concerto for their instrument by baroque master G.F. Handel. The two also join forces for Debussy’s enchanting Album of Five Pieces for Oboe and Harp.
First Presbyterian Church, 2050 Oak Street, Sarasota FL 34237
A huge influence of Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Johnny Cash and Jimi Hendrix, Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a legend in her time, adding fierce guitar and swing to traditional gospel music, becoming the Mother of Rock n Roll. Marie and Rosetta chronicles her first rehearsal with a young protégée, Marie Knight, as they prepare to embark on a tour that would establish them as one of the great duos in music history.
Asolo Repertory Theatre , 5555 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
Hailing from Siberia, classical saxophonist Valentin Kovalev is an ebullient and highly eclectic performer whose unique style was developed after studying in Russia, France and the United States. Valentin gave a sold-out debut recital at Carnegie Hall during the 2023- 24 season. Joined by Joseph Holt on piano, Kovalev’s program includes music by Bach, Rachmaninoff, Bizet, and Piazzolla.
Sarasota Yacht Club, 1100 John Ringling Boulevard, Sarasota FL 34236
In celebration of our Centennial, ArtCenter Sarasota proudly presents the North County Spring Art Show, featuring artwork from over 1,500 K-12 students in Sarasota's public and charter schools. Organized by Angela Hartvigsen and Debra Markley, this cherished annual tradition showcases the creativity of young artists, many exhibiting in a gallery for the first time. The exhibition includes special award ceremonies for both elementary and high school students, with over $20,000 in scholarships and prizes. It's a joyful reminder that the future of art is already in motion.
ArtCenter Sarasota, 707 N Tamiami Trl, Sarasota
Celebrate the vibrant sounds of the nation with our last concert of the season. This concert features John Williams’ The Cowboys Overture, Leonard Bernstein’s Times Square: 1944, and Copland’s iconic Appalachian Spring along with much more. Our guest vocalist for this concert is Andrea Ross.
Venice Performing Arts Center, 1 Indian Ave Building 5, Venice, FL 34285
Celebrate the vibrant sounds of the nation with our last concert of the season. This concert features John Williams’ The Cowboys Overture, Leonard Bernstein’s Times Square: 1944, and Copland’s iconic Appalachian Spring along with much more. Our guest vocalist for this concert is Andrea Ross.
Venice Performing Arts Center, 1 Indian Ave Building 5, Venice, FL 34285
2026 brings a rare alignment of milestones: the 50th anniversary of Steve Reich’s “Music for 18 Musicians,” the composer’s 90th birthday, and enSRQ’s own 10th season. Reich’s groundbreaking 1976 work remains one of the most iconic statements in contemporary music—a luminous tapestry of interlocking rhythms, pulsing harmonies, and slowly shifting patterns that seem to suspend time. Presenting this masterpiece in celebration of its golden anniversary is both an homage to a living legend and a reaffirmation of enSRQ’s dedication to adventurous, transformative performance.
Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota
Canadian cellist Cameron Crozman and fellow Canadian pianist Meagan Milatz return for a much-anticipated encore. For this program, the pair will perform music by Debussy and Gershwin, and a piece written for them by composer Graham Campbell. Following intermission, they will be joined by violinist Daniel Jordan and violist Margaret Dyer Harris in a performance of Robert Schumann’s groundbreaking Piano Quartet in E-flat Major.
First Congregational United Church of Christ, 1031 S. Euclid Ave, Sarasota, FL 34237
The red carpet rolls out and the arena lights up for a blockbuster weekend as Sailor Circus presents its annual spring production. Experience heart-pounding acrobatics, breathtaking aerials, and show-stopping skills, all performed by our talented students.
Sailor Circus Arena, 2075 Bahia Vista St, Sarasota, FL 34239
This beloved classic has delighted audiences across the globe for over six decades. Tevye, the village milkman, is trying to provide his wife and their five daughters with a life filled with prosperity, faith, and tradition. But a revolution is on the horizon and everything they have come to cherish hangs in the balance. One of the most beloved musicals of all times makes its long-awaited debut on the Asolo Rep stage.
Asolo Repertory Theatre , 5555 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
This popular gala evening will take place at Michael’s On East in Sarasota, as a part of a weekend of events and programs surrounding this distinguished national prize. This elegant dinner heralds the jury-selected recipient of this prestigious recognition, which will be awarded in the discipline of visual art. The Hermitage Greenfield Prize (HGP) is a nationally renowned commission awarded by the Hermitage Artist Retreat in partnership with the Greenfield Foundation; the $35,000 award rotates annually between visual art, theater, and music. The 2026 HGP winner’s newly commissioned work will have its first public exhibition in Sarasota in the spring of 2028.
Michael's On East, 1212 S East Ave, Sarasota, FL 34239
As winter melts into spring, our spirits will rise with the blooming blossoms in anticipation of our Spring concert, “Aspire.” This performance is a heartfelt tribute to resilience, showcasing the strength of the human spirit as we passionately pursue our destinies.
Pine Shores Presbyterian Church, 6116 Crestwood Ave, Sarasota, FL 34231
Our inaugural Venice Community Center chamber music series concludes with a grand culmination of American music and culture for the country’s 250th anniversary. Listen to the cross-genre celebration of American music making, with American classical music, popular and jazz music with The Venice Symphony Brass Quintet.
Venice Community Center, 326 Nokomis Ave S, Venice, FL 34285
The members of the DragonBoot Quartet are current students in the Honors Chamber Music Program at the Juilliard School. As an all-women group, they are particularly interested in performing works by women composers to highlight their contributions to the repertoire and to share with diverse audiences. Their program includes Haydn’s String Quartet Op. 33, No. 1.
First Presbyterian Church, 2050 Oak Street, Sarasota FL 34237
A bi-monthly open jam session for professional and non-professional musicians in the Geldbart Auditorium at the downtown Selby Library. The jam begins at 5:30 pm until 7:30 pm. Event is free and open to all. A viewing audience is welcome and encouraged. Piano, bass and drum are on site. A fun, social and entertaining event. Come, sign up to play or sing, or just come out to watch and enjoy.
Selby Library, 1331 1st St, Sarasota
This long-term installation in Gallery 10 of the Museum of Art showcases five outstanding examples of 17th-century Dutch painting on loan from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Featuring a dramatic seascape, an expansive landscape, and captivating portraits set in detailed interiors, this exhibition offers a window into the vibrant artistic production of the Netherlands as the small nation rose to global prominence in the 17th century. The five exceptional paintings from the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, complement The Ringling's holdings of Dutch art and provide additional perspective on the artistry, historical significance, and continuing appeal of Dutch painting from this period.
Ringling Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota
This promises to be a memorable evening of music that speaks to the heart, the mind and maybe even your feet! Doors open 6:30 pm for dinner and beverage service.
Florida Studio Theatre, 1265 First Street at Cocoanut Ave, Sarasota
SRQ DAILY is a daily e-newsletter produced by SRQ MEDIA. Note: The views and opinions expressed in the Saturday Perspectives Edition and the Letters department of SRQ DAILY are those of the author(s) and do not imply endorsement by SRQ Media. The views expressed by individuals are their own, and their appearance in this section does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. SRQ DAILY includes content excerpted from news releases as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by SRQ DAILY. For rates on SRQ DAILY banner advertising and sponsored content opportunities, please contact Robinson Valverde at 941-365-7702 x703 or via email |
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