Belgian-Colombian choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa (b. 1973) received her dance training at the Royal Ballet School of Flanders in Belgium. After dancing for twelve years, including as a soloist with the Ballet Scapino, she decided to devote herself entirely to choreography in 2003. That same year, the NRC newspaper called her “the rising star of the Dutch dance scene,” and seven years later, the Temecula Performing Arts Examiner wrote, “Ochoa is truly a masterful choreographer who has understood what dance can and should be in an ever-changing industry.”
A sought-after and award-winning choreographer, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa has created works for more than 40 companies worldwide, including Scapino Ballet Rotterdam, Dutch National Ballet, Djazzex, Geneva Ballet, Royal Ballet of Flanders, Gothenburg Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, BalletX, Luna Negra Dance Theater, Ballet National de Marseille, Ballets de Saarbrucken and Augsburg, Jacoby & Pronk, Chemnitzer Ballet, Ballet Hispanico, Morphoses Wheeldon Company, Whim W’Him, IncolBallet de Colombia, National Ballet of Finland Compañia Nacional de Danza de Madrid, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Scottish Ballet, Washington Ballet, Nacional Dominicano, Austin, Atlanta, Grand Rapids and Moscow Ballets, Ballet Nacional de Cuba, West Australian Ballet, Danza Contemporanea de Cuba, Ballet Nacional Chileno, Ballet of the Staatstheater am Gartnerplatztheater in Munich, Manila Ballet, Daniil Simkin Intensio Project, Cincinnati Ballet, Silicon Valley Ballet, Ballet Joffrey, English National Ballet, Ballet Black, and New York City Ballet.
A versatile choreographer, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa is equally at home in dance, theatre, opera and musical theatre, and also collaborates on fashion events, including the Van Gogh Museum project by renowned Dutch fashion designers Viktor & Rolf.
She is a member of the dance theatre collective Die Fantasten, for which she has successfully co-directed five full-length productions, which have been presented in numerous theatres and festivals throughout the Netherlands.
In 2009, she created Zip Zap Zoom for the company, which was named one of the top 10 dance moments of the year by the Pittsburgh Gazette, the Boston Globe, and the Montreal Gazette, and recognized as one of the top 10 dance highlights in San Diego and Chicago.
Her work has been awarded multiple times. In 2016, Broken Wings, created for English National Ballet, was nominated for a National UK Dance award in the Best Classical Work category. In 2015, Sombrerisimo, created for Ballet Hispanico, received the Villanueva Award in Cuba. In 2012, A Streetcar Named Desire was nominated for the prestigious Olivier Award (UK), received the award for Best Classical Choreography by the National Dance Awards Circle Critics’ Circle (UK), and was awarded for Best Dance Production in 2012 by South-Bank Sky Arts. In 2007, Annabelle was selected to be part of the prestigious New York City Ballet Choreography Institute. In 2002, Replay received first prize and the audience award at the Bornem Choreographers Competition and in 2001, Clair / Obscur won third prize at the Hannover Choreographers Competition.