In a season filled with great classics like Swan Lake and Le Corsaire, the Ballet Company of the Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro showcases its versatility with a production that unites intensity, color, and emotion: Frida.

Created and choreographed by the Brazilian Reginaldo Oliveira, the ballet premiered in Latin America on October 25, with performances running through October 31, celebrating the life and work of the iconic Mexican painter Frida Kahlo.

The ballet does not follow a traditional narrative structure — it is not an illustrated biography but rather a self-portrait in motion. Inspired by Kahlo’s paintings, letters, and writings, the piece unfolds in choreographic tableaux that reveal Frida’s many faces: the woman, the lover, the activist, the daughter, the painter, the survivor.

Reginaldo Oliveira builds the production as if each scene were a living canvas, where the dancers’ bodies replace the brush and color. The story develops around the struggle between pain and creation, portraying Frida suspended between her wounded body and her free soul — a body that, despite accidents, surgeries, and physical limitations, becomes the instrument of her deepest expression.

The dramaturgy follows key moments in Kahlo’s life: the bus accident that left her immobilized and led her to painting; her turbulent relationship with Diego Rivera, expressed in passionate and violent duets; her discovery of herself as both woman and artist, symbolized by the “second Frida” — an alter ego that converses with her onstage, as in her self-portraits; and finally, her journeys, losses, and rebirths, expressed through solos and ensemble scenes blending realism and surrealism.

More than recounting facts, the ballet seeks to feel Frida — her irony, solitude, courage, and above all, her vulnerability. Principal dancers Márcia Jaqueline and Claudia Mota alternate between the “real” Frida and the “painted” Frida, embodying the fusion between the woman and her art — between flesh and myth.

The soundtrack, featuring traditional Mexican songs such as La Llorona and La Zandunga, serves as the emotional thread that weaves the production together, evoking the ancestral and popular spirit that permeates the artist’s universe. The colors — red, blue, and green — and the set design inspired by Kahlo’s paintings (mirrors, beds, flowers, thorns) heighten the feeling of being inside one of her works.

Performed by the Ballet of the Theatro Municipal, Frida features artistic supervision by Hélio Bejani and Jorge Texeira, general direction by Hélio Bejani, and direction, conception, and choreography by Reginaldo Oliveira — returning to Brazil after an acclaimed international career leading the Salzburg Landestheater in Austria.

“What interests me most about Frida is her personality, not her illnesses. She never allowed her limitations to define her life. I want to tell the story of this fighter, inspired by her art and her writings,” explains Oliveira.

The Woman Behind the Legend

Frida Kahlo gains body and soul in a creation that explores both her vulnerability and her strength. Through intense research and experimental rehearsals, Oliveira and the company delve into the contradictions that made Frida a lasting symbol of freedom and resistance.

“Frida is synonymous with courage and freedom. Portraying her life is a transformative experience,” says Márcia Jaqueline.

Frida Kahlo’s popularity extends far beyond museums — her image has become a global emblem of authenticity and defiance. Now her story is reborn on the stage of the Theatro Municipal, merging contemporary ballet with the company’s classical tradition.

“Bringing a contemporary ballet like Frida to our stage ensures cultural diversity and honors a woman who continues to inspire generations,” says Clara Paulino, President of the Municipal Theatre Foundation.

For Ballet Director Hélio Bejani, the production is also a technical and emotional challenge:

“It’s an opportunity for our dancers to step out of their classical comfort zone and show their versatility.”

About the Creator

Reginaldo Oliveira began his dance studies in Rio de Janeiro under Jorge Texeira. He trained at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow and joined the Ballet of the Theatro Municipal, where he became a soloist. Since 2017, he has served as Ballet Director of the Salzburg Landestheater, creating works such as Otello, Anna Karenina, and Sleeping Beauty. In 2016, he was named Choreographer of the Year by the German magazine Tanz.

The Frida season runs through October 31 at 7 p.m. The company’s next production will be the beloved holiday classic The Nutcracker, returning as tradition each Christmas season.