The Ringling International Arts Festival opened last night, with attendees choosing amongst a trio of performances: Shank’s Mare, a kuruma nungya puppet show created by director Tom Lee and master puppeteer Koryu Nishikawa V, which officially premieres in New York later this year; a series of performances from Thai choreographer and dancer Ronnarong Khampha; and Phare: The Cambodian Circus, with its show Khmer Metal. I chose Phare.

Sitting in the dark of the Mertz Theatre, the show begins with a figure stumbling through the black, a flashlight’s weak beam swinging drunkenly, illuminating nothing. We're both in the dark, but at least he knows what’s coming. He can prepare himself for the coming spectacle; I have no idea what to expect.

When the lights rise, it’s on the interior of a Cambodian dive, with a full bar in the back and seating next to the stage, where the band will assemble. The performers trickle in—a drunken dancer, the proprietor, the band, the regulars—and what comes next is a jaw-dropping affair of circus-sized proportions, a choreographed cavalcade of contortionists, dancers, jugglers and acrobats with feats of strength, balance, coordination and dexterity enough to give The Greatest Show on Earth a run for its peanuts. With a ragtag feel belying the undeniable skill on stage, the crew incorporates everything from the bartaps to oil drums and an old car door in a fearless performance that defies expectation.

And one can’t forget the music, a rock-funk hybrid with driving rhythms and infectious riffs, propelling the performance and injecting the show with moments of true pathos. It’s raucous, rowdy, electric and, quite literally, awesome. The praise is effusive leaving the theater, with one woman raising her voice above the crowd, “Now that was circus!”

With the evening’s shows concluded, the night’s attendees assembled in the Ringling Courtyard, ushered by stilted women in vibrant saris, for the opening party, Bollywood Dreams, with Bollywood singer and choreographer Prashant Kakad taking the stage as MC and DJ. As the crowd danced, ate and drank, the fireworks lit up the sky, thudding and flaring into the dark. RIAF 2015 had arrived.

The performances continue throughout the weekend, with Phare, Khampha and Lee joined by acclaimed contemporary dance from the TAO Dance Theater of Beijing, performances by Indonesian vocalist and composer Peni Candra Rini, a solo musical drama exploring the musical traditions of Taiwan, East Timor, Vietnam and more with Jen Shyu, and the modern yet nostalgic stylings of the Indonesian orchestra Orkes Sinten Remen. 

Photos by Wyatt Kostygan. Pictured: (from top) A stilted woman welcomes guests to the Ringling Courtyard, and Prashant Kakad works the crowd.

After spending years representing businesses in local chambers, Kevin Cooper will now fill a leadership position at one of the region’s most prominent foundations. The Gulf Coast Community Foundation announced on Thursday that Cooper would now serve as director of Community Investment. “I look forward to working with our donors and taking our endowment to activate parts of the community, areas where we know we can do better or identify areas where we are not in the game at all,” he said, “whatever it takes to make us a world-class place to be.”

Cooper most recently served as vice president of Public Policy and the Sarasota Tomorrow Initiative at The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, and before then led the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce as executive director. He fills a post at Gulf Coast that opened up when Jon Thaxton was promoted to senior vice president of Community Investment; Thaxton’s move followed the promotion of former senior vice president Mark Pritchett to the role of president and CEO.

Cooper said he has been impressed for some time with the work of the Gulf Coast and feels the organization’s efforts have closely aligned with that done by area chambers, but he also relished to opportunity to serve the community with some of the human-focused initiatives. He was particularly impressed recently with a community leadership initiative done in conjunction with New College of Florida that offered insight on working with vulnerable populations including the homeless. “Those things that focus on populations are of strong interest to me,” Cooper said. 

Fandango Mediterranean Café offers fresh, flavorful food in a fun and friendly atmosphere. The chef and owner, Fred Salih, is as welcoming as a Mediterranean breeze and it’s difficult to feel anything but relaxed and satisfied while sipping a glass of wine and enjoying the Middle Eastern Salad sampler. The sampler includes Hummus, Black Hummus, Baba Ghanoush, Mama Ghanoush and Falafel, all served with a choice of regular or whole wheat pita bread. The creamy hummus, spicy and tangy mama ghanoush, and the smoky baba ghanoush pairs perfectly with a glass of white wine and the sounds of Gypsy Jazz and Bossa Nova that flavor the air on Wednesday nights. My friend Kristen Pace is a huge fan off the Indonesian Pasta Salad which is unlike anything I’ve experienced and tastes like a deconstructed Pad Thai with miniature pasta rings, sweet peanut sauce, crispy sesame chicken strips and scallions.  

Photo by Kristen Pace: Mediterranean Eastern Salad sampler

Don’t think eating healthy means giving up sweet indulgences. Sarasota nutrion-meisters Jayson and Mira Calton include this dish in their new diet book, The Micronutrient Miracle. 

Double Chocolate Mocha Triple Threat

Ingredients: 8 oz. chilled organic fair trade coffee; 1 scoop IN.PO WER protein; 1 packet nutreince chocolate PM; 1 tsp. Stevita Delight chocolate drink mix; 1 Tbsp. SKINNY Fat Original 

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and pour over ice, or blend in the ice for a frozen beverage.

Optional: Want a Double Chocolate Mocha Triple Threat in the morning? Simply make this recipe with a nutreince vanilla or unflavored AM packet and add in more chocolate Stevita Delight to taste. 

Leslie Power, Ben Rublee and Mary Norman from the Hotel Indigo Sarasota received the InterContinental Hotels Group 2015 Best of the Best General Manager of the Year, Food and Beverage Director of the Year and Team Member of the Year Awards respectively. Of more than 350,000 employees, the Best of the Best designations are comprised of an elite group of 67 winners from the Americas. 

InterContinental Hotels Group

The law office of Shumaker, Loop and Kendrick announced Yuliya V. Swaim has joined the Sarasota office as an associate in the Litigation and Construction Law Practice Groups. Prior to joining Shumaker, Swaim worked as a contract attorney, assisting with research and drafting of legal documents for various complex civil matters. 

Shumaker, Loop and Kendrick

Miromar Outlets announced the opening of its newest dining experience, Florida Kitchen, owned by Sam and Bianca Mohtady. The restaurant features authentic Florida and Southen cuisine, according to owners. Menu items include fresh Gulf Coast Grouper, Fried Catfish, Shrimp Po Boys, Chicken and Waffles, Shrimp and Grits and Country Fried Steak.  

Miromar Outlets