Louisville Ballet invites you to join us for “Shakespeare in Dance” – our first LIVE performance since February 2020 – performed free of charge as part of the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival, August 11-15, in Old Louisville’s Central Park.

View the Shakespeare in Dance Digital Program here>

This performance will feature the return of “William’s Folly,” with choreography by former Company Artist Roger Creel. We’ll also premiere “Vacillating Valor,” a new work by Alex Betts, a Louisville-based choreographer, dancer, and Artistic Director/founder of Waterworks Dance Theater.

For “William’s Folly,” Louisville Ballet artists perform alongside actors from this season’s Kentucky Shakespeare Festival, all to original music by Scott Moore, interweaving text from twenty-three Shakespearean sonnets, music, and movement. Alex Betts’ “Vacillating Valor” is inspired by Shakespeare’s “Antony and Cleopatra” – and to whom Antony ultimately commits his love. Louisville Ballet and Waterworks dance artists will perform this work together.

As part of our Kentucky Shakespeare Festival week we’ve invited local dance groups to be part of our nightly pre-show performances. These groups include: DESTINED Dance Company, Ambo Dance Theatre, LaNita Rocknettes, Belize Dance Intermix, Step-N-Dance, Flamenco Louisville, Genesis Arts, and Keen Dance Theatre.

We’ll also have fun dance activities for children, led by our Community Engagement team, before each production.

And on our final night Sunday, August 15, we’ll host a panel discussion about the state of dance in our community, moderated by Michelle Tyrene Johnson, WFPL Associate Producer, starting at 7:15pm.

We can’t wait to celebrate with you!