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A new "Frida" ballet by Reginaldo Oliveira at Municipal Theater in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

A new "Frida" ballet by Reginaldo Oliveira at Municipal Theater in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

27 October 2025

The ballet premiered on 25 Oct and will also take place on October 26th, 27th, 29th, 30th, and 31st.
The life and work of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo are the theme of the show "Frida", created and choreographed by the Brazilian Reginaldo Oliveira, performed by the Municipal Theater 's ballet, under the artistic supervision of Hélio Bejani and Jorge Texeira. The general direction is by Hélio Bejani.

The choreographer chose the Municipal's prima ballerinas, Márcia Jaqueline and Claudia Mota, to bring Frida to life in Rio.
" In my research on Frida, what interests me much more is her personality than her physical ailments. She was a fighter; she never let her limitations define her life. Today, we live in a world where we must be perfect: relationships, body measurements, health. Frida was not afraid to live her true personality. This also included her vulnerability. And it was this vulnerability that she portrayed in her works, without worrying too much about social conventions. I want to tell the story of this fighter, inspired by her art and her writings. Isolated phrases of hers evoke emotional worlds, which draw us into movements and even entire scenes ," says the ballet's creator, Reginaldo Oliveira.

The ballet is a self-portrait in motion rather than an illustrated biography, so it does not adhere to a conventional narrative framework. The performance, which is based on Kahlo's paintings, letters, and writings, features choreographic tableaux that display Frida's many facets as a woman, lover, activist, daughter, painter, and survivor.