Under the faint glow of a waxing crescent moon, the usually placid Ringling courtyard gleamed with neon flashing lights and boomed with the harmonies of a live band. The Ringling Underground, a monthly event that transforms the antique venue into an eclectic evening of the arts, never fails to entertain.
The high-energy evening started with a calming session of yoga, taught by Kelli Jaco of Soul Yoga Sanctuary. Once everyone’s bodies were balanced and aligned, the festivities began. Guests explored the visiting exhibit, which featured optical illusions, and chilled out in the Sky Room, an enormous skylight framed with color-changing lights.
This month, Ringling Underground was joined by the Sarasota Film Festival (SFF). SFF projected the films of documentary filmmaker Gina Telaroli on the walls of the Ringling as one installment of their Moonlight Movies series. The film, “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood,” entranced viewers with flashes of war imagery. Initially boasting a 40-foot blow-up screen, SFF was hindered to a small projection because of the constant rain prior to the event.
In the opposite corner of the courtyard, psychedelic jams from three local bands reverberated through the marble walls. Teach Me Equals, a Sarasota-based rock band, and Luxury Mane, hailing from St. Petersburg, opened for Starlight Girls, who mixed psych-rock with the sounds of flute and girly harmonies.