Robert Barry Fleming, Executive Artistic Director of Actors Theatre of Louisville + Choreographer

Hydra – A Note from the Choreographer

When I imagined a title for this piece and the themes explored in a loose narrative story world of a tribe of aliens coming to earth to inevitably intercede in the social and political upheaval of a self-destructive species. This work is decidedly inspired by movies like THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH and BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET that charged my imagination in my formative years found the word HYDRA popping in my head without my knowing why or what exactly a “hydra” really was? Other vague childhood memories of B movies I watched at the drive-in with my parents, images of water, a gigantic serpentine multi-headed Claymation monster and the like emerged and a google search later a couple of things caught my attention. That hydra was not only a Greco-Roman mythological figure but an actual real-life organism that has fascinated biologists because of their regenerative abilities and they seemed to be, like the mythological figure, immortal. This is a genus that does not seem to age or die. What tremendous promise and hope such an entity in the universe might provide us, who are all too mortal to have more time to live and work in resistance and hope to overcome the all too familiar polarizing dysfunction that seems to permeate our current society. What a joy it has been to investigate that through movement with this exceptional group of dancing artists.

I dedicate HYDRA to my first ballet teacher, Victor M. Moreno, of the Ballet Russe who lit the flame of my love for the discipline.

From Robert Barry Fleming’s “Hydra” // Program 4 // Photo by Sam English 2022

SWAN LAKE

November 11-14 2021
The Brown Theatre
Choreography by Robert Curran
Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchakiovsky

This will close in 0 seconds

The Brown-Forman Nutcracker

December 11-23, 2021
Whitney Hall, Kentucky Center
Choreography by Val Caniparoli
Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

This will close in 0 seconds

ChorShow

January 12-22, 2022
Louisville Ballet Studios

This will close in 0 seconds

Spotlight Series: Impressionism to Jazz

March 3-5, 2022
The Brown Theatre
A mixed repertory evening featuring:

Emeralds

Choreography by George Balanchine

Music: "Pelléas et Mélisande" + "Shylock" by Gabriel Fauré

In G Major

Choreography by Jerome Robbins
Music: "Piano Concerto in G Major" by Maurice Ravel

World Premiere Work

Music by Louisville-based Jazz Composer and Musician, Dick Sisto

This will close in 0 seconds

Sleeping Beauty

March 31 - April 2, 2022
The Brown Theatre
Choreography by Adam Hougland
Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchakiovsky

This will close in 0 seconds