The Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro closes the show from this Wednesday (29th) Fridaby Rio de Janeiro choreographer Reginaldo Oliveira, in his Latin American debut.
Municipal’s prima ballerinas, Claudia Mota and Márcia Jaqueline, take turns playing the role of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. The ballet is artistically supervised by Hélio Bejani and Jorge Teixeira, with general direction by Hélio Bejani. The sessions are scheduled for the 29th, 30th and 31st of this month, at 7pm, with an age rating of 12 years old. Tickets can be purchased at the theater box office or through website.
In an interview with Brazil Agencychoreographer Reginaldo Oliveira informed that this is his first choreography for the ballet at Theatro Municipal do Rio, where he also worked as a dancer. “It was a dream, because I left a community in Rio”, he recalled. For around 20 years, he has worked as a ballet director and choreographer for the company. Salzburg Landestheaterin Austria.
To create the spectacle FridaReginaldo researched the artist’s life in books, photos and letters written by her. “For me, it was very important to enter this world (of Frida), try to connect and bring from the inside out elements that would show the public the strength of that woman, who, despite having suffered a terrible accident, which resulted in more than 30 surgeries, turned that pain into art.”
Before rehearsing with the dancers, he met with the Municipal do Rio dance corps, and presented Frida and his work in books, photos, paintings and texts, creating a true laboratory.
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Strength and overcoming
For the choreographer, Frida has an “outsized” strength. Therefore, the ballet is inspired by the strength of this artist and her origins. “I bring the accident in this ballet, but I also bring overcoming, which is very important for us, human beings. She decides to live, to fight for her ideals. She is a very advanced woman for her time. Frida is very current, she lives among us. The ballet shows that we have to move forward; that we have moments of pain, but we have to fight. And be true.”
It was always Reginaldo’s dream to return as a choreographer to Municipal do Rio, showing his experience of more than 20 years. During the show, dancers Sophia Palma and Tabata Salles bring to the stage a kind of self-portrait of Frida Kahlo, who transformed the time she spent in bed, after numerous surgeries, into paintings of herself. “It turned into art”, analyzed the choreographer.
Origins
Coming from the community of Maré, in the north of Rio, Reginaldo Oliveira began his dance training in the capital of Rio de Janeiro, studying with Jorge Teixeira. In 1998, he won first place in the Russian Ballet Competition, in São Paulo, and received a scholarship to the Bolshoi Ballet State Academy of Choreography, in Moscow.
Two years later, he joined the company of the Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro, under the direction of Richard Cragun, being promoted to soloist in 2003. In 2006, he moved to Germany, joining the Badisches Staatsballett Karlsruhedirected by Birgit Keil.
Reginaldo is fascinated by female figures, having created choreographies about Medea and Anne Frank. Since 2017, he has lived and worked in Salzburg, Austria.
