Annabelle Lopez Ochoa (born 30 April 1973) is an international choreographer based out of Amsterdam, Netherlands.
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Ochoa, who is half-Colombian and half-Belgian, completed her dance training at the Royal Ballet Academy in Antwerp, Belgium. She appeared with various German companies before eventually joining Djazzex, a contemporary dance company, in 1993. In 1997, she joined Scapino Ballet Rotterdam, where she was a soloist for seven years. Since leaving her performing career, Ochoa has choreographed works for the Scapino Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Djazzex, The Royal Ballet of Flanders, Ballet du Grand Theatre du Genève, Ankara Modern Dance Theater, Ballet X, and Pennsylvania Ballet, Luna Negra Dance Theater, Ballet Hispanico, BJM-Danse Montreal, Le Jeune Ballet du Quebec. She has also worked outside of traditional dance companies, choreographing for theater, opera, and musicals and with Dutch fashion designer Viktor & Rolf.[1]
Overall, Ochoa’s work relates emotional experience through an abstract but intently connected style of choreography, which occasionally relies on virtuosic technique. Her movement is contemporary, however, she occasionally displays classical virtuosity, such as a soaring grand jeté. Because she uses the abstract form, her works do not have established plot lines or characters. She does, however, want the dancers to “tell a story” within the work. She achieves this by emphasizing the eyes, using them as a connecting point among the dancers on stage as well as with the audience. To organize her movement, she is interested in “constructed chaos,” a carefully structured work that appears to lack structure. This method makes her creations insightfully detailed while remaining well organized. Ochoa enjoys working with a wide range of dancers, and also enjoys working with actors. She finds inspiration primarily from art and music, not from the dancers or from other choreographers.[2]
Ochoa’s first critically acclaimed work in the United States is Before After, a seven minute duet which “delineates the last moments of a relationship.”[3] The New York Times described the number as short and simple, but also “the most moving, the most mysterious, the most heartily cheered.[4] Clive Barnes raved that it was the “best in the…shows.”[5] Not every reviewer shared this enthusiasm, however; Laura Bleiberg suggested that the piece was not unique in its themes or structure, and that “Ochoa added few insights.”[6]
Ochoa won the Hannover Choreography Competition in 2001 with her work “Clair/Obscur.” She also won first prize at the Bornem International Competition in 2002 with “Replay.” In the fall of 2007, she participated in the New York Choreographic Institute, working for two weeks with the New York City Ballet.[7]
Lacrimosa -Long version (2010)
L'Effleure (2010)
Zip Zap Zoom (2009)
Locked up Laura (2009)
Nube Blanco (2009)
Requiem for a Rose (2009)
Still@life (2008)
Satie (2008)
IN<fusion>IN (2008)
One (2008)
Miniature (2007)
Reminiscence (2007)
Since (2007)
Padam (2007)
Returning Points (2006)
Lacrimosa (2006)
September (2005)
Mourning Dove (2005)
metAMORPHOsis (2005)
Black Rain (2005)
Nocturne (2004)
Together Alone (2003)
Zip Zap Zoof (2003)
Solitaire (2003)
Before After (2002)
Clair/Obscur (2001)
Graffiti (2001)
Replay (2001)
1. Official Annabelle Lopez Ochoa website. <http://web.me.com/annabellelopezochoa>
2. Ochoa's blog. <http://annabellelopezochoa.typepad.com/>
3. Ochoa's YouTube channel. <http://www.youtube.com/user/anlooc>