New York Times: Frida Kahlo Could Barely Walk. In This Ballet, She Dances.

By Nina Siegal

17 January 2019

AMSTERDAM — Frida Kahlo’s vibrant art, turbulent life and tragic death at age 47 are certainly operatic. But the Mexican surrealist painter, who was left disabled by polio and a bus accident, might seem an unlikely subject for a ballet.

But that’s the medium Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, a choreographer who has also worked in flamenco, hip-hop and contemporary dance, has for her newest work, “Frida,” which will have its world premiere at the Dutch National Ballet on Feb. 6.

The ballet, which is based on the painter’s life — including her tempestuous relationship with her husband, the Mexican muralist Diego Rivera — does not linger on Kahlo’s physical disability, Ms. Lopez Ochoa said in a recent interview. Instead, it will animate her emotional world and artistic legacy, using dance.

Read the full article in the NY Times.