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- Michigan premiere of “Broken Wings" ballet at Peter Martin Wege Theatre by Grand Rapids Ballet
Michigan premiere of “Broken Wings" ballet at Peter Martin Wege Theatre by Grand Rapids Ballet
07 October 2026
"Broken Wings" was created by choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and debuted at Sadler's Wells Theatre in London in 2016 by the English National Ballet ("Broken Wings - She persisted"). Since then, the production has been presented by Houston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and The Joffrey Ballet in Chicago.
Rehearsals in Grand Rapids will feature Belgian-Colombian choreographer Lopez Ochoa, who has produced over 100 pieces for 81 companies worldwide. The production is being staged by Joshua Winzeler, rehearsal director of Ballet Hispanico, and Christine Rocas, rehearsal director of The Joffrey Ballet.
The ballet chronicles Kahlo's journey from her school days to her painting career. Skeletons from Day of the Dead follow her from the first scene and show the bus accident in 1925 that left her in terrible pain. Following the accident, the stage is flooded with colour as images from her paintings come to life, such as birds, the injured deer from her 1946 self-portrait, and male dancers wearing headdresses and voluminous skirts that symbolise her numerous self-portraits. The entire piece revolves around her marriage to muralist Diego Rivera.
“Frida Kahlo painted her own reality, the pain right alongside the color, and Annabelle has captured both in this ballet,” Artistic Director James Sofranko said. “The work is so striking visually, you feel transported to Kahlo’s world, experiencing her life’s joys and challenges through the imagery of her paintings.”
Follow the link below for tickets and more info on the Michigan performances of Oct. 16-18 and 23-25 at Peter Martin Wege Theatre.
Click here for the English National Ballet website page dedicated to this ballet.
