Our next episode of Global Conversations features Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, a leading choreographer and outspoken advocate for her peers. Annabelle is a Colombian-Belgian dancer and choreographer whose work travels across genres, from jazz to contemporary ballet.

She trained at the Royal Ballet School in Antwerp, Belgium before a twelve-year career with a variety of European dance companies including Scapino Ballet Rotterdam, where she was a soloist for seven years. In 2003, she decided to focus solely on choreography. Since then, she has choreographed works for 64 dance companies around the world and has earned many awards and distinctions, including the Jacob’s Pillow Choreography Award, “Best Premiere of 2018” by Dance Europe Magazine, and a spot on the “Best of Dance 2017” list by Dance Magazine. Her artistry extends beyond dance, having created original works in theater, opera, and musical theater. The influence of these various artistic realms can be seen in many of her evening-length works, such as “A Streetcar Named Desire,” in which her choreography focuses heavily on emotion and narrative.