Frida

Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) did not have a carefree life by any means. At the age of six, she got polio, and when she was eighteen, she suffered irreparable damage to her pelvis and spine due to a bus accident. But Kahlo did not let fate thwart her. She fought against taboos and fought for women’s rights, and her colourful self-portraits are still inspiring people all over the world today. Lopez Ochoa says, “When I saw Julie Taymor’s film portrait Frida, I was deeply moved by how Kahlo managed to transform her physical immobility and constant pain into art.”

Kahlo’s soul and dreams

Already in 2016, Lopez Ochoa’s fascination with Kahlo led to Broken Wings, which she created for English National Ballet. At the request of Dutch National Ballet director Ted Brandsen, she developed this short ballet into a full-length production in 2020. Frida is not an A-to-Z story of Kahlo’s life. The most essential events are portrayed in a succession of impressive scenes in and around two black boxes, which symbolise her many bedridden days. In addition, Lopez Ochoa presents various alter egos, who reveal Kahlo’s soul and dreams, and ten male dancers bring Kahlo’s self-portraits to life.

Personal triumph

Involving 49 dancers, Frida is the biggest production created to date by the Colombian-Flemish choreographer Lopez Ochoa. The title role was a personal triumph for principal dancer Maia Makhateli, who danced the world premiere. “Makhateli captures the spirit of the militant Kahlo in a formidable performance.”