Spotlight Florida Welcomes MOVING ETHOS To New Stages Series

Continuing a commitment to provide a platform and support for local contemporary artists, The Ringling has selected Moving Ethos, a Sarasota-based collective of movement artists, for the 6-month Spotlight Florida creative/performance residency. Launched in October 2018, the residency features programs including a ViewPoint lecture with Moving Ethos' artistic director on March 23 and the world premiere performance of their new work, girlwoman, on April 12 and 13.

Moving Ethos strives to rebuild connections to ourselves and community through movement. An intimate portrayal of the glamorous and messy nature of being a woman, girlwoman follows three women as they navigate the demands of the world with an imperfect grace that is relatable and refreshing. Their strength is met with fragility as they transparently share their stories. In her characteristically bold voice, Artistic Director Leah Verier-Dunn leads the audience through a web of imagery that pulls at heart strings one moment and evokes laughter the next.

"We are delighted to welcome Moving Ethos for our Spotlight Florida residency," said Steven High, executive director of The Ringling. "This is an opportunity for The Ringling to feature the talented artists that call our community home, and, for the first time, to offer them studio space where they can create new work for our audiences to enjoy."

Spotlight Florida was created by retired curator Dwight Currie, who sought to ensure that Floridian artists be showcased alongside The Ringling's national performances and programs. 2018-19 marks the first time The Ringling was able to provide Spotlight Florida resident artists with studio space; Moving Ethos is using The Ringling's new Charlotte and Charles Perret Family Performance Studio in the Kotler-Coville Glass Pavilion to create their new work.

"It is truly wonderful to have Moving Ethos in residency at The Ringling," said Elizabeth Doud, The Ringling's new Currie-Kohlmann curator of performance. "They are exploring a theme that is certainly top of mind in our society: what it means to be a woman today. We are excited to see how the artists of Moving Ethos engage audiences in their powerful and emotional new work."

"This residency has afforded us the opportunity to develop girlwoman with the attention it deserves, to collaborate with great programs like Ringling Underground, to share about the importance of process through our master classes and ViewPoint Lectures, and most of all it has amplified our voice within the community," said Verier-Dunn. In addition to the public programs that Verier-Dunn and Moving Ethos will present, Verier-Dunn has worked with Ringling education staff to offer a teacher training course for local educators to help bring movement into the classroom.

Programs:

Collecting Recollections: Artist Leah Verier Dunn

March 5, 10:30 a.m., Historic Asolo Theater

As The Ringling delves deeper into its commitment to contemporary art and time-based work, we are exploring how to best "collect" performances. Join Leah Verier Dunn, artistic director of Moving Ethos dance company, as she shares insights into her newest work which will premiere at The Ringling in April. Leah will discuss how her collaboration with The Ringling has impacted her artistic process in developing this piece.

Ringling Underground Unplugged

March 7, 7 p.m., Museum of Art

Included with Art After 5 discounted Museum admission

Spoken word artist Cedric Hameed will lead this special in-gallery performance featuring local dance theater company, Moving Ethos. Using poetry as his medium, Cedric creates a space for dynamic conversations by prompting the audience with questions about their surroundings which leads to a spontaneous spoken word performance based on the audience responses. Moving Ethos dancers will then create and perform in-the-moment-dance based on Cedric's poetry.

Viewpoint Lecture: Theatrical Dance
March 23, 10:30 a.m., Historic Asolo Theater
Admission: $10 / $5 Members & Students
Join Leah Verier-Dunn, artistic director of Moving Ethos Dance Company, on an exploration of the concept of dance theater and how to tell a story through movement. Featuring dancers from Moving Ethos, Leah will play with the concept of narrative, and what "dance theater" means to Moving Ethos.

Performance:

Spotlight Florida: Moving Ethos presents girlwoman
April 12 and 13, 7:30 p.m., Historic Asolo Theater
$20-$30 / Members save 10%

Moving Ethos dance company presents the world premiere of girlwoman, an intimate portrayal of the glamorous and messy nature of being a woman. Follow three women as they navigate the demands of the world with an imperfect grace that is relatable and refreshing. Their strength is met with fragility as they transparently share their stories. In her characteristically bold voice, Artistic Director Leah Verier-Dunn, leads the audience through a web of imagery that pulls at heart strings one moment and evokes laughter the next. girlwoman is a telling tale that challenges us all to consider the complexities of the female experience.

For tickets or more information, visit www.ringling.org or call 941-360-7399

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The Ringling is a center for art and history, situated on 66 magnificent acres on the shores of Sarasota Bay. It is built on the remarkable legacy of circus entrepreneur, collector of art and financier John Ringling and his wife Mable.

The Ringling inspires visitors with an acclaimed collection of Old Master paintings, explores with them the diverse cultures and art of Asia, delights them with the story of the American circus as told through the first American circus museum as well as the world's largest circus model, and transports them to the Roaring Twenties during a tour of the magnificent Ca' d'Zan mansion.

The Ringling is also committed to exhibiting the work of an emerging community of living artists whose work moves beyond traditional practice and features dynamic and engaging contemporary visual and performing arts, including a diverse roster of theater, music, dance and film.

The Ringling is the State Art Museum of Florida. Affiliated with Florida State University, it is one of the largest university art centers in the nation.

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