October 16-18 & 23-25, 2026 at Peter Martin Wege Theatre
From internationally acclaimed choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Broken Wings is inspired by the life and art of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. Called an “intensely vivid spectacle” by San Francisco Classical Voice, Broken Wings has been seen around the world in cities such as London, Amsterdam, Chicago, Houston, and San Francisco. The ballet features surrealist imagery taken from Kahlo’s art, a score by Peter Salem that incorporates elements of Mexican folk music, and characters from her life, including her husband and creative partner Diego Rivera.
The program will also include a revival of James Sofranko’s A Dreamer, inspired by the life and studies of theoretical astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, featuring a score by Philip Glass and Ludwig van Beethoven.
This production includes sensitive topics and mature themes.
Dates & Tickets
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Estimated Run Time: 2 hours with one intermission
Warning: This production includes sensitive topics and mature themes.
Seating: Reserved seating
Accessibility: Accessible and companion seating available
Third-party ticket notice: Don’t get scammed! If you buy your tickets anywhere other than the GRB Box Office or ticketmaster.com, you will pay more than the value of your ticket and miss important pre-show information. Some third-party sellers don’t even send the tickets, leaving patrons seatless and out of pockets.
To avoid Ticketmaster fees: Please contact the Grand Rapids Ballet Box Office for tickets by phone at 616.454.4771 ext 110, or in person. The box office is open Monday through Friday from 11:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Please contact the Grand Rapids Ballet Box Office with any questions about this event via phone or by email at boxoffice@grballet.com.
BROKEN WINGS | CREATORS
Annabelle Lopez Ochoa
Biography
The Belgian-Colombian Annabelle Lopez Ochoa is a prolific, award-winning, and sought-after choreographer that has created more than a 100 works for 81 dance companies around the world. A versatile choreographer, Lopez Ochoa creates regularly within the dance field but also for theatre, opera, and musical theatre. Her wide-ranging body of work includes short conceptual pieces, full-length narratives, and dance films. Ochoa completed her dance education at the Royal Ballet School of Antwerp. After a 12-year long career in several European dance companies, such as Djazzex, and the Scapino Ballet where she danced as a soloist for 7 years, Annabelle decided in 2003 to focus solely on choreography. That same year she is hailed as the “rising star of the Dutch dance scene” (NRC newspaper) and only 7 years later the Temecula Performing Arts Examiner wrote; ”Ochoa is truly a masterful choreographer with an edge for what dance can and should be in this constantly changing industry”. She has been creating new works and new forms ever since and is also frequently invited to teach.
Annabelle is one of the world’s busiest choreographers (a quote from Wendy Perron, Dance Magazine 2016). In 2006, she imagines a dance for the celebrated Dutch fashion designer Viktor & Rolf’s project at the van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Between 2005 and 2015, as a member of the Dance-Theatre collective “Fantasten” she successfully created physical theater plays, which have been performed in numerous theaters and festivals throughout the Netherlands. In 2016, the Jacob’s Pillow Summer School invited Lopez Ochoa to join the faculty as a guest contemporary choreographer, and classical ballet choreographer in 2018. In 2019, Annabelle is appointed as the program director of the Contemporary Ballet Summer Intensive of the School at Jacob’s Pillow. Annabelle has been appointed artist in residence at Ballett Dortmund in Germany starting from the season 2025/26. She will share the position with choreogrpaher Edward Clug under the ballet intendant direction Jaš Otrin.
During the pandemic of 2020-21, Lopez Ochoa pioneered remote choreography and dance film creations premiered online. She created in total 22 dance films. Her online work has attracted significant attention; publications including Dance Magazine, Pointe Magazine, Backtrack, TV5 Monde, Dance Gazette has interviewed Lopez Ochoa about her new dance films and the developing genre. In 2023, Annabelle’s notoriety made her to be invited as a judge on the TV show The Greatest Dancer of Vlaanderen. The show aired on Belgian National TV for 9 episodes in February/March 2023.
Dieuweke van Reij
Peter Salem
Jim French
Biography
Jim French is a praised lighting designer whose work has illuminated performances across dance, theater, and live events in more than 25 countries. After a nine-season tenure as resident designer for Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, he has crafted lighting for over 15 world premieres at San Francisco Ballet. Known for his striking ability to shape mood and movement, French’s work has accompanied works for American Ballet Theatre, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Ballet West, earning admiration from critics and collaborators alike for his imaginative use of light, shadow, and space.
A DREAMER | CREATORS
James Sofranko
Biography
James Sofranko assumed the position of Artistic Director of Grand Rapids Ballet in 2018 after an 18-year career as a soloist with the San Francisco Ballet.
He is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, and received his dance training at The Harid Conservatory in Florida and later at The Juilliard School in New York City, where he received his BFA in dance.
At San Francisco Ballet, he danced in numerous works and world premieres by choreographers such as Helgi Tomasson, Val Caniparoli, William Forsythe, Liam Scarlett, Justin Peck, Alexi Ratmansky, Edwaard Liang, Lar Lubovitch, Wayne Macgregor, Mark Morris, Julia Adam, Yuri Possokhov, Christopher Wheeldon, Paul Taylor, Arthur Pita, Stanton Welch, Jorma Elo, Hans Van Manen, Jiri Kylian, John Neumeier, James Kudelka, Lila York, Kenneth Macmillan, George Balanchine, and Jerome Robbins. Some of his favorite roles include Mercutio in Tomasson’s Romeo and Juliet, Eros in Mark Morris’ Sylvia, Bugle Boy in Taylor’s Company B, and the second sailor in Robbins’ Fancy Free.
He received an Isadora Duncan award (Izzie) for best performance in 2011 in Yuri Possokhov’s Classical Symphony.
James starred in the principal role of Eddie in the Broadway touring company of Movin’ Out, a musical choreographed by Twyla Tharp to the songs of Billy Joel.
In 2012 he co-founded DanceFAR (Dance For A Reason), an annual benefit performance and after-party that brings the Bay Area dance community together to support the work of the Cancer Prevention Institute of California (CPIC).
In 2014, he formed a new contemporary repertory company in San Francisco, SFDanceworks, presenting works by Alejandro Cerrudo, Lar Lubovitch, José Limón, Nacho Duato, Christopher Bruce, and world premieres by Penny Saunders, James Graham, Danielle Rowe, Dana Genshaft, and Sofranko himself. He continues his work with SFDanceworks currently in the role of Artistic Advisor.
Since 2018, Sofranko has created 11 original works for Grand Rapids Ballet: Two Tangos, Ballade, The Sweet By and By, A Dreamer, Calling Forth, Aubade, Julia, Piece of You, Ave Maria, Peter and the Wolf, and Romeo and Juliet Fantasy. In February 2023 he will create a world-premiere full-length production of Romeo and Juliet to be premiered at DeVos Performance Hall with the Grand Rapids Symphony. He has also created works for San Francisco Ballet School, SFDanceworks, Long Beach Ballet, and Marin Dance Theater. James has worked as a repetiteur for Yuri Possokhov, resident choreographer for San Francisco Ballet, and has staged his ballets on Cincinnati Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Grand Rapids Ballet and San Francisco Ballet.
Since assuming the directorship of Grand Rapids Ballet, the company’s repertoire has grown to include classical and contemporary works by some of the most sought after choreographers working today. The dancers have come from across the United States and around the world.
Sofranko has brought repertory which includes choreography by Yuri Possokhov, Alejandro Cerrudo, Penny Saunders, Trey McIntyre, Val Caniparoli, Adam Hougland, Danielle Rowe, Nicolas Blanc, Brian Enos, Christopher Stowell, Darrell Grand-Moultrie, Jennifer Archibald, Ben Stevenson, Edwaard Liang, Amy Seiwert, Katarzyna Skarpetowska, and George Balanchine. He instituted a program entitled Jumpstart which allows new choreographic talent to emerge from within the ranks of the dancers. He has personally collaborated on world premieres with musicians Gene Hahn and Jordan Hamilton, and the company collaborates frequently with other cultural organizations in the area, including with the Grand Rapids Symphony, ArtPrize, Festival of the Arts, DisArt and the Grand Rapids Art Museum.
Since 2019 the company has performed annually at the amphitheater at the Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park and in 2021 began performing at Studio Park Celebration Cinemas in downtown Grand Rapids.
During the 2020-21 season, Grand Rapids Ballet successfully weathered the pandemic by producing a first-ever virtual season, in collaboration with SALT Creative Production Studios. Sofranko curated four virtual programs, including “The Nutcracker Experience,” which was seen on television throughout West Michigan and earned the company an Emmy nomination.
James would like to thank his wife Cynthia Sheppard Sofranko for her ongoing support and creative input in all of his work.
Philip Glass
