Well Behaved Womxn...
Professional Showcase - Ambo Dance Theatre Professional Company Dancers
Junior Showcase- Ambo Dance Theatre Dance School
Well Behaved Womxn… is an evening of dance centering and uplifting the tales of women who have long been overlooked, undertold, or misrepresented. Inspired by the famous quote "Well behaved women seldom make history," this production reclaims feminist narratives through movement, research, and community collaboration. Featuring the professional company’s evening works—Carmilla, a gothic reimagining of queer desire; Medusa, a reframing of mythic injustice; Lorelei, inspired by the German folktale of the siren whose voice defies control; and a work centered on Frida Kahlo’s life and artistic resilience—the production challenges perceptions of femininity, power, and autonomy.
Alongside the evening professional concerts, family- and sensory-friendly matinees showcase original works by Ambo’s community ensemble, youth companies, School dancers, and residency participants, centering underrepresented womxn’s histories through intergenerational, embodied feminist storytelling.
Well Behaved Womxn...
June 5-7, 2026
June 5, 2026 at 7pm (Professional)
June 6, at 2pm (Junior) & 7pm (Professional)
June 7, at 2pm (Junior) & 7pm (Professional)
Commonwealth Theatre Center
1123 Payne St
Louisville, KY 40204
Our season finale production of Well Behaved Womxn... has two different versions: the professional production and the junior version.
The professional production (Friday and Saturday, June 5th & 6th at 7pm) features Ambo's professional company as they present concert works that are more serious in nature. This show is rated PG-13 due to mature themes.
The junior version of the production (Saturday and Sunday, June 6th & 7th at 2pm) functions more like a traditional recital, featuring many shorter works by the Ambo Dance Theatre School students, Community Ensemble, and Junior Company, as well as excerpts of works from Ambo's Professional Company. It is a sensory-friendly and family-friendly version of the professional production, featuring dancers of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities!
Well Behaved Womxn... Tickets will go on Sale in April on the Ambo Dance Theatre website!
Well Behaved Womxn...
Professional Showcase Pieces
Carmilla
Choreography by Amberly M. Simpson
A haunting and tender reimagining of one of literature’s earliest depictions of queer desire, Carmilla draws inspiration from the gothic novella by Sheridan Le Fanu and reframes its story through a contemporary feminist lens. Centering Laura as she grapples with her emerging attraction to the enigmatic Carmilla, the work explores how desire collides with a lifetime of socialization within a heteronormative society. As Laura confronts feelings that have historically been labeled “monstrous,” the piece unravels how femininity, power, and autonomy intersect with identity and longing.
Medusa
Artistic Direction by Amberly M. Simpson
Choreography in Collaboration with Dancers
A visceral reimagining of the Medusa myth, this work reframes one of history’s most vilified female figures through a lens of collective power and feminist resistance. Rather than a punishment inflicted by the goddess Athena, Medusa’s transformation becomes a deliberate, collective act—womxn rising together in solidarity after enduring generations of violence, control, and erasure. Through powerful, unrelenting movement, the piece rejects the narrative of Medusa as a monster and instead reveals her as a symbol of defiance, protection, and righteous vengeance. In this retelling, the serpent-haired figure emerges not as a cautionary tale, but as an embodiment of what happens when womxn reclaim their autonomy and unite against the systems that have long sought to silence them.
Lorelei
Choreography by Ella Vanderkolff
Lorelei is a tragic and enchanting figure from German folklore whose story is rooted in heartbreak. According to one of the most well-known versions of the legend, Lorelei was once a beautiful young woman who fell deeply in love. When her lover abandoned her, she was overwhelmed by grief and despair. Accused of bewitching men with her beauty and blamed for the turmoil her presence caused, she was brought before a bishop for judgment.
Frida
Choreography by Kennedy Morillo
This work centers on Frida Kahlo's life and artistic resilience. At its core, this project is a study in survival through creation. It explores what it means to claim your story, to hold your pain, and to let it transform into something meaningful. The work positions Frida not as a historical figure to imitate, but as a source of conversation and reflection. Her vulnerability, her truth, and her insistence on turning her body and her life into art form is the foundation of this piece.
Lowell Mill Girls
Choreography by Helena Smith-Pohl
The Lowell Mill Girls was a group of women who worked at textile mills in the early 1800s. They had to endure long hours and difficult working conditions. There were protests held to improve the working conditions with strikes.
Well Behaved Womxn Junior
This production features excerpts of the professional company works as well as works about:
Mary Wigman
Maya Angelou
The Night Witches
Woman Tap Dancer
Androgyny
and more!
