Aerialists, dancers and musicians will fill a converted Coral Gables church on Tuesday, Sept. 22 as Les Ailes du Désir Foundation returns with a Mediterranean-themed edition of its long-running Soirée des Arts series.
“Soirée des Arts: Mediterranean Edition” combines aerial acrobatics, contemporary movement and live music in a one-night performance at Sanctuary of the Arts, the 314-seat concert hall inside the historic First Church of Christ, Scientist campus on Andalusia Avenue.
The production is the 12th edition of the series and brings internationally experienced performers together with younger local artists trained through Les Ailes du Désir Foundation, better known as LADD or the Miami Circus Arts Center.
This edition takes some of its inspiration from Coral Gables itself.
Organizers say the production draws on the city’s Mediterranean Revival heritage, with creative direction by Milena Straczynski and an original score by songwriter and composer Alba Maria. Maria’s music moves between traditional Mediterranean folk influences rooted in her Spanish background and contemporary composition.
The result is intended to be less a sequence of isolated circus acts than a continuous performance built from music, movement and aerial work.
A circus school built around access
LADD is a Miami-based nonprofit devoted primarily to circus arts education and performance.
At its Allapattah studio, the organization offers more than 30 classes across disciplines including aerial silks, hoop, trapeze, rope, contortion, handstands, trampoline and straps. Programs range from recreational instruction to advanced and professional training.
Inclusivity is also written into the organization’s stated mission. LADD says its programs are designed to serve children and adults with different learning and physical abilities while expanding access to circus training across Miami’s diverse communities.
Soirée des Arts serves as the public-performance side of that mission.
Earlier editions have mixed circus, theater, dance and live vocals. A 2024 production, “Sideshow,” brought together acrobats, dancers, musicians and vocalists at the Trail Theater in Coral Gables. This year’s Mediterranean Edition again pairs established performers with emerging local talent.
LADD says proceeds from Tuesday’s performance support its educational work with youth, emerging artists and circus professionals.
A church remade for performance
The setting adds another layer to the evening.
Sanctuary of the Arts operates from the historic First Church of Christ, Scientist campus at 410 Andalusia Ave., directly across from City Hall. The arts organization officially opened there in April 2022 after historic church spaces were adapted for performances, rehearsals and arts education. Its main campus includes a 314-seat concert hall, professional studios, classrooms and offices.
The main performance building was designed by prominent Coral Gables architect Phineas Paist and completed in 1942. Converting it for performance required additions including sound treatment, staging and updated electrical systems while retaining the character of the former sanctuary.
Sanctuary also operates St. Mary’s Missionary Baptist Church at 136 Frow Ave., roughly two miles south. The historic church was the first African American church in Coral Gables and now serves as another part of Sanctuary’s arts programming.
The organization was co-founded by Coral Gables attorney and preservation advocate Mike Eidson and his wife, Dr. Margaret Eidson, with the goal of preserving historic properties while providing affordable rehearsal and performance space to South Florida arts organizations.
For Tuesday’s circus production, the former sanctuary offers something a conventional theater does not: a relatively intimate room in which aerial performance, live music and movement unfold only a short distance from the audience.
If you go…
“Soirée des Arts: Mediterranean Edition” begins at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22, at Sanctuary of the Arts, 410 Andalusia Ave., Coral Gables.
Tickets are $13 to $28, including fees. The performance is designed for audiences of all ages.
