Best known for her art and her striking appearance, Mexican artist Frida Kahlo only lived to be 47 and her short life was full of pain, but her body of work will forever immortalise her. Kahlo was an influential figure in Surrealism, and her self-portraits are as riveting in their detail as they are emotionally charged.

Her complicated life story is just as compelling and directly impacted her art – a story presented through dance at Pjazza Teatru Rjal. The Broken Column, one of her more striking pieces, is the inspiration behind the dance production.  Moveo Dance Company director and choreographer Diane Portelli was inspired by the painting of a naked Kahlo, her body split in half and revealing a crumbling column instead of her spinal cord.

The dancers play extensions of Kahlo’s pain and broken body.

Kahlo painted this piece when she was 44, following a series of spinal surgeries to correct ongoing problems resulting from a serious traffic accident when she was 18.

Kahlo’s turbulent relationship with fellow artist Diego Rivera, whom she married twice, was another source of pain for her. She famously stated that she endured two major accidents in her life, the traffic accident and her on-again-off-again husband, Diego.

Frida endured 32 surgeries which were excruciatingly painful and might have led to her having multiple miscarriages

To Kahlo, Diego was by far worse.  Pain is a thread that ran through Kahlo’s life, but passion was another.

“The dancers will also be playing other very important roles – extensions of Kahlo’s pain and broken body, the foetuses she lost in her miscarriages, the brushstrokes of her paintings, and the Mexican people starting the revolution,” Portelli explains.

Kahlo had a turbulent relationship with fellow artist Diego Rivera.

“Frida endured 32 surgeries which were excruciatingly painful and might have led to her having multiple miscarriages.”

Another aspect of Kahlo’s life which Portelli didn’t ignore is the artist’s pride in her Mexican heritage. 

The performance was staged last year receiving critical acclaim with audiences and is back this year by popular demand.

Frida: My Two Accidents will be performed at Pjazza Teatru Rjal on June 9-10. Tickets can be purchased at showshappening.com. For further information, visit moveodancecompany.com.