Festival Dates:
March 13-15, 2026 (Performance Schedule)
Tickets are $30 plus Pay What You Can Options
Performances will take place at
Friday, March 13 at 7pm
Saturday, March 14 at 7pm
Sunday, March 15 at 2pm
Friday Preshow
Sofia Ritchie (Pittsburgh, PA)
Friday Professional Showcase Lineup:
Ambo Dance Theatre - Amberly Simpson (Louisville, KY)
Ambo Dance Theatre - Kristin Dowdy (Louisville, KY)
Ambo Dance Theatre- Mysti Jace Pride (Louisville, KY)
Dance Uprising (Ypsilanti, MI)
Leslie Dworkin (Dayton, OH)
Janie Morgan (University of Kentucky)
Lindsay Robinson-Ellis (Frankfort, KY)
Sage Movement & Company (Evansville, IN)
The Collected Few (Lexington, KY)
River Lotus Lion Dance (Louisville, KY)
Melissa Watt - Dance Film - (Austin, TX)
Saturday Preshow
Sofia Ritchie (Pittsburgh, PA)
Saturday Professional Showcase Lineup:
Ambo Dance Theatre - Joseph R. Brandt (Louisville, KY)
Ambo Dance Theatre - Sheila Zeng Dudgeon (Louisville, KY)
Nicole Caruana (Louisville, KY)
Deno Dance Company (West Lafayette, IN)
Dogs Eat Wind (Nashville, TN)
HUM Dance Collective (Glasgow, KY)
Abi Elliott (Louisville, KY)
Flamenco Louisville (Louisville, KY)
Ella Claire Johns (Columbia, TN)
Laura Neese (University of Kentucky)
TINGMOTION (Columbus, OH)
Melissa Watt - Dance Film - (Austin, TX)
Sunday Student Showcase Lineup:
Ambo Dance Theatre - Community Ensemble 1 (Louisville, KY)
Ambo Dance Theatre - Junior Company (Louisville, KY)
Ambo Dance Theatre - Helena Smith-Pohl (Louisville, KY)
Melissa Burch (Louisville, KY)
Cabaret Noire (Louisville, KY)
JCPS - Lincoln Elementary Performing Arts School Step Team (Louisville, KY)
JCPS - Noe Middle School (Louisville, KY)
JCPS - Western Middle School for the Arts (Louisville, KY)
Kentucky Dance Academy (Frankfort, KY)
The Louisville Ballet School (Louisville, KY)
Motion Studio Dance Company (New Albany, IN)
Jamie Nicolas & Phil Murray (Louisville, KY)
Sora Aerial Arts (Lexington, KY)
Alyssa Walker (Greensburg, KY)
Dancers & Choreographers
River Lotus Lion Dance are a neo-traditional lion dance team Established in 2019, we have performed this sacred art throughout Louisville, KY and the greater metro area. We bring this ancient artform to life by bringing good fortune and prosperity to any event through the expression of vigorous movements, vibrant colors, and other sights & sounds that have been passed down for generations.
The Legend of the Lion
Choreographed by River Lotus
Acoustic Instruments
Kevin Bach, Eric Dong, Johnny Nguyen, Justin Nguyen, Katelan Nguyen, Kevin Nguyen, Tuan Troung, Tina Van
River Lotus Lion Dance
Laura Neese’s Repatterning is a low-tech, high-humanity, fusion of live music and movement. An intimate quartet of dancers flutter, soar, careen, and whirl through Mark Summer’s effervescent “Pattern Language” for solo cello, as brought to life by Lexington Philharmonic’s Ethan Young. Shifting between distinct isolation and playful interaction – dancers and musician explore possibilities for repatterning joy and connection.
Repatterning
Choreographed by Laura Neese
"Pattern Language – Julie-O Concert Etude No. 1"
Composer: Mark Summers
Cello: Ethan Young
Costume Design: Lisa Wilson
Zoe Easterberg, Ali King, Emalie Mullane, Qurria Thomas
University of Kentucky Dept. of Theatre and Dance
We Turn Together is a dance is inspired by the perpetuity of gears and how they intersect and relate to one another. If one breaks or stops working, the whole mechanism crumbles.
We Turn Together
Choreographed by Kristin Dowdy
"4 120 Vary Vary 2018" by Michael Wall
Costume Design: Lisa Wilson
Costume Design - Kristin Dowdy
Joseph Brandt, Kristen Dowdy, Laurel Mallory, Kennedy Morillo, Mysti Jace Pride
Ambo Dance Theatre
My piece explores the intersection, the fusion point, between art and science. It contrasts the disciplined precision of science with the flowing energy of art. There is a common perception that science is rigid and emotionless while art is free and expressive. Society often separates these disciplines, but my own life reveals how deeply they intertwine.
The piece begins with a structured, deliberate tone, reflecting the perceived boundaries of scientific thought. The piece transitions into a more whimsical and fluid quality, and by the final section, it resolves into a hopeful, harmonious unity.
Le Point de Fusion
Choreographed by Ella Claire Johns
"Obituary" by Alexandre Desplat, "Adagio" by Georges Delerue, "The Winner Is" by DeVotchKa and Mychael Danna
Costumes: Shura Pollatsek and Ella Claire Johns
Audrey Barker, Marissa Burch, Tess Fowler, Abby Harper, Karelina Rodriguez, Carroll Ann Shackleford, Loryn Shea
Western Kentucky University
Echos. Warping time.
Head in clouds. Kaleidoscope.
Pockets of being.
Dematerialiation
Choreographed by Melissa Watt in collaboration with dancers
Rigoletto: scena ed Aria. "Gualtier Malde"-Caro nome" By Giuseppe Verdi / Dame Joan Sutherland, Richard Bonynge, London Symphony Orchestra, riccardo Cassinelli, John Gibbs, Christian Du Plessiss & Ambrosian Opera Chorus
Mask design: Melissa Watt,
Videography and editing: Melissa Watt
Gabrielle Aufiero, Rebecca Ouellette, Mysti Jace Pride
Funky Flock: Taking Flight is a vibrant celebration of rhythm, freedom, and community. Set to the swinging sounds of Lionel Hampton, Charlie Christian, and Benny Goodman, this piece takes audiences on a journey from grounded grooves to soaring movement. Like a flock in motion, dancers weave bold steps, playful patterns, and dynamic energy—capturing the spirit of flight and the joy of dancing.
Funky Flock: Taking Flight
Choreographed by Janie Morgan and Dancers
"Gone with What Wind" by Charlie Christian
"Hamp’s Boggie Woogie" by Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra, "Seven Come Eleven" by Charlie Christian"Flying Home" by Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra
Costume Design: Lisa Wilson
Brooke Baldwin, Sara Deale, Adelynn Hamilton, Kennedy Hamilton, Kelsey Jones, Lily Sgroi, October Stitt, Carrie Vest
University of Kentucky
For John
"The Visitors" is a new poignant and playful dance theater piece, co-choreographed by Leslie Dworkin and Kent De Spain. Two strangers appear uninvited in an empty home to explore a world filled with mystery and nostalgia. Are these figures refugees? Are they haunted by their past? Are they explorers on the cusp of a new world? At times humorous, impactful, and inspired by the plight of the refugee, this duet explores the ramifications of embracing one's outsider status.
The Visitors
Choreographed by Leslie Dworkin and Kent De Spain
Music from "Tales from the Loop" by Philip Glass and Paul Leonard-Morgan
Kent De Spain, Leslie Dworkin
The words of the title mean "the flame, the firewood". The traditional song forms in flamenco are called "palos" which literally means stick. This piece, much like a bonfire, consists of multiple palos: jaleo, solea por buleria, alegria. The performers themselves are the fuel, aided by our instruments and equipment.
La Llama, La Leña
Choreographed by Diana Dinicola
Traditional as interpreted by the musicians
Guitar: Paul T. Carney Voice: Grace Mican-Work
Becca Barrett, Paula Collins, Diana Dinicola, Larissa May, Grace Mican-Work, Mercedes Nelson
Flamenco Louisville
"Landing," choreographed by Amy Cadwallader in collaboration with the dancers, premiered in Dance Uprising's April 2025 concert. This work uses Pilobolus style partnering to embody landscapes from around the world, slowly morphing from one to the next in a kaleidoscope of movement.
Landing
Choreographed by Amy Cadwallader
"Original composition by Max Popkin
Costume Design: Amy Cadwallader
Amy Cadwallader, Nicole Heikkilä-Popkin, Elijah Lennington, Rachel Meloche, Erin Potvin, Theo Renee Seibert
Dance Uprising
Murmurs of Mural is a contemporary dance work that explores how cultural memory lives within the body. Drawing inspiration from ancient Dunhuang murals, a historic and artistic heritage of Chinese culture, the piece transforms still imagery into moving presence through breath, gesture, and collective rhythm. Blending Chinese aesthetics with contemporary movement, the dancers become living surfaces - carrying traces of history while allowing new meanings to emerge - inviting audiences into a quiet, resonant space where memory, imagination, and movement meet.
Murmurs of Mural
Choreographed by Tingyu Xie
Section 1: No Man's Land 无人之地 by Umrcumrc;
Section 2: Honor of Kings 神鼓传响 by HeartStrings
Costume Design: Tingyu Xie
Xinyi Shao, Luna Wang, Ningyu Wang , Tingyu Xie, Xiling Zou
TINGMOTION
“Where The Rungs Don’t Reach” honors the unseen weight women carry and the strength they offer one another. Rooted in the quiet grief of miscarriage and the absence it leaves behind, the piece uses the metaphor of a ladder to show how women become rungs for each other by lifting, steadying, and supporting the climb toward healing. Each upward step reflects love, remembrance, and resilience. Though born from loss, this is ultimately a celebration of women as builders of hope and light, rising together with grace.
Where The Rungs Don't Reach
Choreographed by Elizabeth O'Brien
Original Sound Design: Noah RedElk
Vanessa Bilic, Christy Carr, Nina Deno, Kayla Marvel, Elizabeth O'Brien, Rachel Yurek
Deno Dance Company
Tethered is about connection – holding onto, releasing, knotting up, and unraveling – ourselves, our thoughts, and each other.
Tethered
Choreographed by Abi Elliott with Aubrielle Whitis
Abi Elliott, Aubrielle Whitis
"MA'AMSIR" follows two dancers’ fumblings through identity, individualism and the supposed ideal of freedom which, at times, feels a lot like imprisonment. The two try on various disguises and personas as they battle to stay original. Still, the more time they spend together, they can’t help but morph into one common being - a being which has no identity in particular, or one whose identity is in constant flux - one that both thrives in and is entrapped by language itself and is much more inclined to be danced than to be named.
MA'AMSIR
Choreographed by Hayden Hubner and Hannah McCarthy
Original Score: Hayden Hubner, Hannah McCarthy, and Isaac Q. Horton
Text elements: Hayden Hubner and Hannah McCarthy
Hayden Hubner, Hannah McCarthy
Dogs Eat Wind
An expository on perception and vision. We don't always see things as they are, our perceptions are skewed. This is an effort to bring things back into proper alignment.
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Plumb
Choreographed by Nicole Caruana
Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 3
Nicole Caruana
Where I Hold Grief, Light Still Comes traces a journey through loss—through the ache of absence, the weight of memory, and the quiet persistence of love. The light does not erase the grief; it arrives beside it, gentle and unwavering, until the storybook closes, cradling both.
Where I hold Grief, Light still comes.
Choreographed by Brittany Hudson Trent, Jaasiel Wilson
“Claire De Lune” - Claude DeBussey, Alexis Weissenberg
Lydia Fletcher, Lindsey Flowers, Brenna Lancour, Robin Lasley, Layne Masters
“Heart” was adapted from a dance film produced by Chris Hobdy in summer 2019 with choreography by Trevor Edwards danced with Christina Saliga in Bardstown, Kentucky at Wickland— house of the 3 governors. It has been adapted for stage and recently premiered in Nashville, TN at “Saturn Returns: This is 30” on January 17th 2025 and was made for Hannah McCarthy & Trevor Edwards.
Heart
Choreographed by Trevor Edwards
“Heart” by Rainbow Kitten Surrise
Costume Design by Trevor Edwards
Costume Edits by Tori Gillespie
Hannah McCarthy, Trevor Edwards
HUM Dance Collective
This piece explores movement in relationship to changing time signatures throughout the piece. Through this exploration of different time signatures, the piece also explores different elements and efforts of dance that showcase the different qualities of movement.
5...67!
Choreographed by Sheila Zeng-Dudgeon
"6 110" by Michael Wall; "7 136" by Michael Wall; "5 140" by Michael Wall
Caeli Baker-Green, Melissa Bowen, Marie Cunningham, Kristin Dowdy, Kennedy Morillo, Amberly Simpson
Ambo Dance Theatre
This work is about giving and taking. It is about the struggle of being able to give compliments and feedback to others and the selflessness that it takes in order to do so. It is also about taking just what you need from the earth and giving back to it. In addition, it is about being able to take compliments from others without throwing a demeaning comment about myself back at them for giving said compliment. So, it is about learning how to both give and take. Both have their challenges, but both are equally important.
The Give and Take Of
Choreographed by Mysti Jace Pride
"Give" by Tori Amos
Joseph Brandt, Kennedy Morillo, TeNnile Ray, Rylan Truman, Ella Vanderkolff
Ambo Dance Theatre
we are all floating through this life relatively unaware and objectively unaccompanied. wouldn't it be better if we supported each other on this journey we call life- giving unbridled companionship, an uplifting base, and a safe place to land? see this concept in motion in "Float".
Float
Choreographed by Jaddyn Sage
"Float" by Tae Fir
Copper Craig, Jaddyn Sage
Sage Movement & Co.
This dance explores how a body can somatically move through loss. Grounded and vulnerable, it welcomes what we often silence. Through creative process, daily gestures soften and shift: habitual patterns unravel and gently reweave themselves into new rhythms—new ways of being that add depth and texture to the soundtrack of life. Movement becomes an act of care, restoring the mind/body connection, and deepening our ties to those we love. "You There, Me Here" carries years of processing—the acceptance and grief following her brother-in-law’s death by suicide at 36 in 2023—offering a space for compassion, presence, and shared healing.
You There, Me Here
Choreographed by Lindsay Robinson-Ellis
The choreographer is working from the place of a suicide survivor, but there are no definitive depictions or verbal discussions on the topic within the work.
Untitled-TBD by Jaret Ellis
Jaret Ellis (musician), Lindsay Robinson-Ellis
TBD
Villanelle
Choreographed by Amberly M. Simpson
"5 106 - Remix 2026" by Michael Wall
Laurel Mallory, Amberly M. Simpson, Helena Smith-Pohl, Mary Rose Stelzer-Weise, Rylan Truman, Ella Vanderkolff
Ambo Dance Theatre
TBD
Dancers. In. Space. (Pilot)
Choreographed by Joseph R. Brandt in collaboration
with the dancers
"Command 64" by Wojciech Golczewski
"Deep spaceship engine" by jstarrcreative
"Dancers. In. Space. Theme" by Joseph R Brandt
"Spaceship Cockpit Ambience 03" by Tim_Verberne
"bad ending of video game ORGAN" by kbrecordzz
Melissa Bowen, Joseph R. Brandt, Kristin Dowdy, Kennedy Morillo, Mysti Jace Pride, Sheila Zeng-Dudgeon
Ambo Dance Theatre