On July 19, an estimated nearly 2 billion people tuned in to watch the World Cup Final between Argentina and Spain. The final included the first ever World Cup Halftime Show, where musical giants such as Madonna, Shakira, BTS and Justin Bieber performed in front of the world at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Similarly to Super Bowl LX—in which Sarasota Orchestra’s Giancarlo Guerrero was featured in Bad Bunny’s Halftime performance—another Sarasota face was in the World Cup.

Dancing alongside Shakira was none other than Sarasota’s own Halle Henry. The 25-year-old dancer is an alum of the Manatee School for the Arts, who about two years ago, was signed as a dancer for Shakira’s world tour. While Henry is accustomed to performing alongside Shakira, dancing at MetLife stadium was a different experience entirely.

“I knew that it was a huge deal—we had kids from Uganda who flew out to perform with us which made it 10 times as special—but you don’t really feel it until you’re in the stadium surrounded by 80,000 people,” says Henry. “The energy that I felt in that stadium was magnetizing. You’re supporting Shakira, but also the world and the two countries in the match. It felt like I was performing for a cause bigger than just my job.”

Henry’s journey to the world’s biggest stage has been an audacious one. At 17, she moved from Sarasota to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of becoming a professional dancer. Soon after she signed with Block Talent Agency, and began booking jobs—a Jason Derulo music video here, a Disney commercial there—before signing onto Shakira’s world tour in 2024. “When I was 15, something just clicked in my head that this was the number one thing that I loved to do in my life,” says Henry. “I knew that LA was the place I needed to go for my career to take off and to further my training.” 

Halle Henry performing on stage. Provided photo.

New theatre takes center stage this week as The Sarasota Players presents Radical Honesty by Jeffrey Steiger, the 2025 New Play Festival Winner, August 11–16 at The Players Studio Black Box (1400 Blvd. of the Arts, Suite 200, Sarasota, FL 34236). To encourage Sarasota audiences to experience this original work, tickets are currently available for just $15 with promo code RADICAL. 

Photo courtesy of The Sarasota Players.

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The Exchange has awarded ensembleNEWSRQ (enSRQ) a $3,000 grant to support “Luna Rising: Voices of a New Generation”, an innovative concert celebrating emerging composers and the next generation of creative voices in contemporary classical music. The performance takes place Monday, January 18, 2027, as part of enSRQ’s 2026-2027 subscription season. The program features world premieres by Andromeda Wen and Chloe Kirk, composers selected through the Luna Composition Lab, a national mentorship program founded by Pulitzer Prize-winning composers Missy Mazzoli and Ellen Reid to support the next generation of female, nonbinary and gender-nonconforming composers. 

Pulitzer-prize winning composer Missy Mazzoli, co-founder of the Luna Composition Lab.

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Noah Schnapp, the American actor known to millions as Will Byers in hit television show ‘Stranger Things’, will make his world stage debut in ‘Affluenza’, a new play written and directed by Andy Sandberg at Riverside Studios, London from 26 September until 21 November (press night 5 October). Set against the ultra-wealthy social haven of the Hamptons, Affluenza raises thought-provoking questions about moral accountability, family legacy, and the American justice system. Mainstage Season Artistic Director Andy Sandberg said, ‘I am incredibly excited to be launching this play and this season in just a few weeks – and now with Noah Schnapp at the helm. Noah is a brilliant young actor who has captivated audiences on screen, and now London audiences will have the opportunity to see him in his stage debut.” 

Provided photo.

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The Hermitage Artist Retreat recently announced its 2026-2027 Curatorial Council, comprised of distinguished national arts leaders spanning the fields of theater, music, visual art, literature, and arts education. The newest additions to the Council include Mark Ronson, Academy Award and nine-time Grammy Award-winning songwriter and producer; Will Butler, Grammy Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated composer; Bill Rauch, Tony Award-winning Artistic Director of the Perelman Performing Arts Center; Ian Alteveer, Beal Family Chair of Contemporary Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and Justin Torres, a National Book Award-winning author and Hermitage alumnus. 

The Hermitage Beach Program. Provided photo.

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Reserve your space in the upcoming SRQ ARTS 2026 Guide to the Culture Coast publication celebrating local arts organizations, performances and events for the coming season! Produced in partnership with local arts nonprofit Sarasota Rising, the SRQ ARTS Guidebook serves as a resource for the Sarasota community to explore, discover and experience all the arts has to offer. Special opportunities are still available for organizations looking to connect with interested readers. Reserve your space now before closing! 

Space Closing August 14, 2026

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