April 12-13

Kentucky Center
501 W. Main St. • 584-7777
louisvilleballet.org
$27+; 8 p.m. (Fri.-Sat.), 2 p.m. (Sat.)

The last show of Louisville Ballet’s current season is a mixed repertory program of five pieces, including two works by members of the Louisville Ballet. The world premiere of “Ten Beautiful Objects” is by Adam Hougland, the Louisville Ballet principal choreographer. It was created especially for the male dancers of the company and features costumes by Sandra Woodall, a leading ballet designer. Louisville Ballet member Brandon Ragland is presenting his expanded full-stage version of “Silent Conversation,” previously performed at the 2011 Choreographers’ Showcase. The program also has two dances choreographed by “the father of the classical ballet,” Marius Petipa: “Le Corsaire,” featuring one of ballet’s most famous pas de deux, and the Spanish-themed “Paquita.” In harmony with the season, “Spring Waters” by Asaf Messerer rounds out the program.  —Jo Anne Triplett

Friday, March 22

U of L’s Student Activities Center
louisville.edu/lgbt
$10 ($5 students); 8 p.m.

No, Pink isn’t returning to town for an encore performance, but her infectious attitude and spirit surely inspired some of the performers in this event. Now in its 16^th year, PINK is U of L’s student-produced amateur drag and variety show. It actually holds the record as the longest-running student organized fundraiser on U of L’s campus, and proceeds, as always, benefit the Office for LGBT Services Scholarship Fund. A mix of seasoned and first-time drag queens and kings will entertain, including “Mother of the House of PINK,” Reva Devareux, and emcee MC2. This is drag for a good cause, so sit back and enjoy. —Sara Havens

Friday, March 8

Brown Theatre
315 W. Broadway • 584-7777
kentuckycenter.org
$25 and up; 8 p.m.

There are dancers, and then there are dancer-illusionists. Not only are the members of the MOMIX dance company some of the most skilled, athletic dancers in the country, what they do onstage with their bodies and creative use of costumes, simple props, projections and puppets takes dance performance to a new level. You may recognize them from a Hanes or Target commercial, and it’s easy to get lost in their many clips on YouTube. On Friday, they’re performing “Botanica,” which illuminates the stage with the beauty of the changing seasons to a score that’s just as eclectic as they are, with tunes ranging from Vivaldi to birdsong. Warning: Production may cause or intensify spring fever. —Jane Mattingly

March 1-2

Kentucky Center
501 W. Main St. • 584-7777
louisvilleballet.org
$27+; 8 p.m. (Fri.-Sat.), 2 p.m. (Sat.)

“Romeo and Juliet,” one of literature’s great “my family doesn’t like you” couples, is coming back to the Louisville Ballet. This romantic dance is a classic for them in every sense of the word. First performed in 1985, it features choreography by former artistic director Alun Jones with assistance by former co-artistic director/principal dancer Helen Starr. They are beloved, with Jones receiving the Kentucky Arts Council’s Milner Award in 1998. There’ll be plenty of people on the stage: 24 Louisville Ballet dancers, including Natalia Ashikhmina (Juliet) and Ben Needham-Wood (Romeo), 13 trainees, and more than 40 people from around the city. Anytime you see a credit for fight choreography, in this case by Dale Brannon, plus that many people in a cast, you’ve got to know all hell breaks loose. —Jo Anne Triplett

•Russian National Orchestra

Saturday, Feb. 23

Whitney Hall, Kentucky Center
501 W. Main St. • 584-7777
kentuckycenter.org
$25-$65; 7:30 p.m.

The Russian National Orchestra began 2013 by playing hometown Moscow. But the ensemble soon escaped the Russian winter and, in February, performs in California, Kentucky and Florida. In May, it’s Italy and Spain. July finds the orchestra in residence at the Napa Valley Festival del Sole. Then it’s Switzerland in August and Paris in October. A pretty good gig. And a darned-fine orchestra that appears Saturday night in Whitney Hall. After opening with Smetana’s “Overture from The Bartered Bride,” young Russian phenom Daniil Trifonov plunges into Prokofiev’s “Piano Concerto No. 3.” The Russian orchestra concludes with Tchaikovsky, of course. The emotional composer completed his “Symphony No. 4” in 1878 and dedicated it to his patroness, Madame von Meek, with whom he carried on a 13-year love affair — entirely through letters. The pair never met in person. —Bill Doolittle

•Masquerade Gala

Saturday, Feb. 23

Audubon Country Club
3265 Robin Road
masqueradeky.org
$50 adv., $60 door; 8 p.m.

Masks are to parties like open is to bar. And all four components equal a guaranteed good time. Pandora Productions is hosting its annual Masquerade Fire & Ice Gala, which is a benefit for the local theater company. Along with appetizers and live music by Robbie Bartlett and DJ Sleepy T, the party will feature a silent auction of decorative masks made by local artists, an open bar and a performance by Penny Tration from “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” If you get your ticket ahead of time, it’s only $50 — and let’s face it, that’s your average bar tab on a Saturday night, isn’t it? If you include dinner? So put up the money and dance for a good cause. —Sara Havens

•‘Moving Collective: Stories Gathered’

Saturday, Feb. 23

Clifton Center
2117 Payne St.
movingcollective.com
$12-$20; 8 p.m.

Moving Collective presents its 15^th performance of modern dance in Louisville, aptly titled “Stories Gathered.” A collaborative work of six Ohio Valley choreographers, “Stories Gathered” explores biblical themes, the process of growth and emergence, and a journey into the unknown. While this is a dance concert, dance is only a fraction of the experience. Choreographer Danah Bella took it upon herself to explore the use of light and music. Her contribution, “In the Memory of Hope,” includes motion and sound sensors, so the lighting and atmosphere will change from performance to performance, responding to the movements of each dancer. Moving Collective prides itself on contemporary dance, but now it has another achievement to add to its list of bragging rights: successful experimentation with the art of performance. —Natalie French

Thursday, Feb. 21

Prime Lounge
106 W. Main St.
facebook.com/HardCandyKY
$6-$15; 10:30 p.m.

If you’re not already a fan of the best show on TV, “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” then you owe it to yourself to sample this live performance (and meet-and-greet) with one of the current stars of the competition showcase, Alaska Thunderfuck (known on TV simply as “Alaska,” for some childish reason). The night also includes sponsor Absolut Vodka (open bar from 10-11 p.m. if you buy the limited VIP tickets) and performances from The Diva Extreme: Syimone and DJ Prism. This is part of the monthly “Hard Candy” series, easily one of the best ongoing events in Louisville. So whether you’re loud and proud or like to peek in on the action through a hole, take a disco nap and then come on down — it’s going to be a late night. —Peter Berkowitz

Jan. 24-26

Louisville Ballet
315 E. Main St. • 583-2623
louisvilleballet.org
$20-$25; 8 p.m.

The Louisville Ballet’s annual “Choreographers’ Showcase” practices truth in advertising. The title tells you what to expect — a number of new dances created by their choreographers, many of whom happen to be dancers in the Louisville Ballet. Ben Needham-Wood, Ashley Thursby and Helen Daigle are just a few of the choreographers presenting their work this year. Occasionally these brand-new, hot-off-the-press dances are expanded and performed again later, just as “Sansei” was in 2012 and “continuum” in 2008. These 12 new pieces will be performed in the studio of the Louisville Ballet, making the dances seem as if they are being performed just for you and some of your friends. It also means space is limited and it’s best to purchase tickets in advance. —Jo Anne Triplett

Saturday, Dec. 8

234 Pearl St., New Albany
zhenyaexhibition.wordpress.com
Free; 5-8 p.m.

In October, an 11-year-old Russian boy named Yevgeny Salinder discovered the remains of a wooly mammoth. It was named “Zhenya” after his nickname and is the second-best preserved mammoth ever found. Eight senior BFA art students from IUS are channeling Zhenya’s curious spirit in their exhibition of the same name. The artists will display their work, which ranges from illusionistic to abstract, at a one-night-only show Saturday. The pieces include traditional media such as oils, graphite, monotype and ceramics, and branch into installation, shadow boxes and vegetable papyrus. Like Zhenya’s discovery, this exhibition represents each artist’s own explorations in his studio. So make an expedition across the bridge and discover something new for yourself. —Sara Havens

•Help Portrait

Saturday, Dec. 8

930 Art Center
930 Mary St.
help-portrait.com
Free; 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Everyone knows the holiday season should be about giving back as much as getting. Keeping with that spirit, this weekend the folks at Help Portrait will offer cameras, lights and generosity to take free photos for those in need. Help Portrait has recruited about 30 local hairstylists, make-up artists and photographers to doll up and snap all those who attend the event. Individuals and families will head home with either one free 8×10 or 4×6 print along with a CD of their images. To date, Help Portrait has provided close to 170,000 portraits in 1,520 locations and more than 56 countries. —Anne Marshall

•‘Fifty Years in KY Journalism’

Saturday, Dec. 8

Carmichael’s Bookstore
2720 Frankfort Ave. • 896-6950
Free; 1 p.m.

Look at you — flipping through paper pages to get your news! In today’s world with ready access to aggregated blogs, you’ve shown the good taste to value journalistic tradition and individual voices. One of the cornerstones of journalism in our region, Al Smith, is celebrated in the new book “Kentucky Cured: Fifty Years in Kentucky Journalism.” The man himself is coming to Carmichael’s Saturday for a reading/signing. This book will introduce you to a wealth of characters that could only be assembled in our commonwealth. But you’ll also learn that public fights to support education and the arts were going on long before Rand Paul’s rise (or Mitch McConnell’s, for that matter). Newshounds have long been held responsible to serve — rather than pander to — the readership, and Al Smith has understood this privilege. —T.E. Lyons

•What Made Milwaukee Famous

Saturday, Dec. 8

Zanzabar
2100 S. Preston St.
zanzabarlouisville.ticketfly.com
$10; 9 p.m.

Winner of this week’s honorary “Simpsons” Be Sharps Award for naming a band something kind of clever that quickly becomes more trouble than it’s worth is this Austin-based indie rock group. Now celebrating a decade together with a new album, You Can’t Fall Off the Floor, being released next month, WMMF has been perpetually on the rise, playing all the major festivals, filming a set for “Austin City Limits” (one of the few then-unsigned acts featured on the prestigious showcase), and touring with Arcade Fire and the Black Keys, among others. And the name? Swiped from Jerry Lee Lewis’ song “What Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made a Loser Out of Me).” So have a Schlitz and enjoy the sounds. —Peter Berkowitz

•‘Brown-Forman Nutcracker’

Dec. 8-23

Kentucky Center
501 W. Main St. • 584-7777
louisvilleballet.org
$30+; 1:30 & 7:30 p.m.

If you’re seeing large dancing mice and you didn’t smoke anything funny, then it must be “Nutcracker” time. It’s an annual favorite — the Louisville Ballet revamped in 2009 to add the St. James Fountain and Derby jockeys just for Louisvillians. At any given moment, the stage is filled with up to 180 people, including more than 100 children. Throw in some magic by illusionist Marshall Magoon, and you’ve got a doozy of a show. “Nutcracker” is as much an event as a dance. The Louisville Ballet is offering Sugar Plum Parties on Dec. 8 and Dec. 16 for $20 per person. And a dancer from the company will read the “Nutcracker” story at the Southwest branch of the Louisville Free Public Library, 10375 Dixie Highway, on Dec. 13 at 6:30 p.m. —Jo Anne Triplett

•Spirits of the Red City

Sunday, Dec. 9

Clifton Center
2117 Payne St.
cliftoncenter.org
$5; 7 p.m.

Take a dirty basement version of Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros’ quasi-Jesus lovin’ pop hymns, add the deliberate post-Dylanisms of a younger, less greasy Conor Oberst, and season with a more string-driven version of Neutral Milk Hotel’s freak-garage songs, and you’ve got a potent mixture kinda sorta like the sound of the Minneapolis-based tribe called Spirits of the Red City. Led by Highlands native Will Garrison, the family returns with a special show notable not just for the music, but also for the presentation. The Spirits will take over the Clifton stage, all acoustic, and the audience will also be onstage with the group — something like the audience will be at the back of the stage, and the group will be down stage. Like a house show in a really huge house. —Peter Berkowitz

Nov. 30-Dec. 2

Margaret Comstock Concert Hall
U of L School of Music • 852-6878
uldanceacademy.com
$10-$15; various times

Everybody has that one movie or show they absolutely must watch in order for it to really feel like Christmastime — for many (like me), it’s “The Nutcracker.” Just hearing the music makes me want to do piqué turns through the mall. Thankfully, there are multiple productions of it in town every year so we can get our fix, and the University of Louisville Dance Academy’s production of it is a gem that may surprise you if you’ve never seen it. Their shortened version of Tchaikovsky’s holiday ballet begins with the gorgeous Snow Scene and goes right into Clara’s dream of the Land of Sweets. In its 17^th year, the production is under the direction of Cynthia Bronner and Chuck Bronson, and will feature guest artist Robert Dunbar. —Jane Mattingly