The Two Fridas

Watch ‘The Two Fridas’ Dance Theatre performance recorded live on the grounds of Kirkleatham Museum on Sunday, 22nd August.

Running time: 1 hour 15 min.

Family friendly performance.

‘The Two Fridas’ is presented by Billingham International Folklore Festival of World Dance in collaboration with Balbir Singh Dance Company.

Funded by Arts Council England.

Purchase your ticket and we will be emailed you the link to watch the film within 48 hour.

Tickets: £5 per household.

THE IDEA

The life and paintings of Frida Khalo have always fascinated me, especially after my several visits to Mexico and seeing the huge influence the visual arts made and are still making on Mexican cultural canvas.

Researching Frida Khalo I came across Amrita Sher-Gil, the Hungarian/Indian painter who has often been referred to as “Indian Frida Khalo”.

That’s how the idea of The Two Fridas was born. After further research I found incredible parallels in the lives and work of those two female painters, united, yet apart.

After developing the initial idea I invited Balbir Singh and his dance company, our company in residency, to work on this project and develop the ideas further. The Two Fridas will be telling the story of these two remarkable artists through the medium of dance (Indian Classical, Mexican and contemporary), the fusion of Eastern and Western music, live narration and live painting on stage.

As part of BIFF Projects 2020, we produced The Two Fridas, which includes research and development, in-depth creative process and open rehearsals in Galleries and Museums, aiming to develop it into a full-length piece for UK tour 2021.

The Two Fridas, named after Frida Khalo signature painting, celebrate two famous female painters, who took inspiration from their cultural roots, reflecting BIFF’s main focus.

Frida Khalo, born in 1907, considered one of Mexico’s greatest artists, a painter, famous for her work inspired by Mexican culture, an incredible and highly complex artist of her time.

Amrita Sher-Gil, born in 1913, has been called “one of the greatest avant-garde women artists of early 20th century”, a “pioneer” in modern Indian art, deriving heavily from Indian art styles and its culture.

Living and creating on two opposite sides of the World, Frida’s and Amrita‘s stories and paintings echoed each other, creating an invisible parallel between them. The performance will reflect on their lives, similarities, differences, struggles and journeys and will portray, respond to and interpret some of their most famous paintings. It will reflect questions around their identity as female LGBT artists, sense of belonging, with Frida Khalo’s story highlighting the work of a disabled artist.

An integral project’s part is an outreach programme in visual arts and dance in schools and community, followed by artwork exhibitions at each performance venue, and dance curtain-raisers.

Olga Maloney, Producer

Read more in our ‘News’ section

Follow the development of The Two Fridas in our Online Magazine:

The Two Fridas Online Magazine – Issue 1 – Birth of an idea

The Two Fridas Online Magazine – Issue 2 – International Perspectives

The Two Fridas Online Magazine – Issue 3 – The World Premiere

The Two Fridas – Performance Programme

‘The Two Fridas’ Parallels – educational video for primary schools:

Explore the parallels in life and work of Frida Kahlo and Amrita Sher-Gil

Explore the amazing contributions to the project from our International Partners and local artists:

‘Las Dos Fridas’ dance interpretation by Ballet La Grana Beatriz Ramirez, Autlan, Jalisco, Mexico filmed at Museo Regional de las Artes in Autlan:

Renowned Mexican artist Carmen Avalos has been inspired by The Two Fridas project to create a new painting. Alas Para Volar (Wings to Fly), 2020, Carmen Avalos. 120 x 100 cm, oil on canvas.