Meet the dancer: Katherine Ochoa

How have you found your time at BRB since joining at the beginning of the season?

I’ve found my time at BRB to be really positive so far. From the very beginning, I felt extremely welcomed, and I’ve been continually inspired by the incredible artists in the Company and by the people I get to dance with every day.

What roles have you performed and which have you enjoyed the most?

]\I’ve danced in two productions so far: Black Sabbath – The Ballet and The Nutcracker, which I’m still performing.

Black Sabbath – The Ballet was really fun to perform and felt quite free and freestyle in its movement. In The Nutcracker, I danced both Clara and the Sugar Plum Fairy, and I loved each role for very different reasons. I love Clara because she is young and playful, and the role allows you to feel free and connect with your inner child. The Sugar Plum Fairy is very special to me as well – the music and choreography are simply breathtaking. BRB’s The Nutcracker is a truly beautiful production.

Can you tell us how you started dancing and your journey to becoming a First Soloist with BRB?

I started dancing at the National Ballet School of Cuba when I was nine, although I began ballet as a hobby at the age of four. At nine, I started my formal training and joined the Cuban National Ballet School, where I trained for eight years.

After graduating, I joined the National Ballet of Cuba, where I spent three and a half years and became a First Soloist for the final two years, performing a wide range of roles. I then moved to the United States to join Cincinnati Ballet, where I also danced for three years as a First Soloist.

This is now my first season with BRB, and I’m very excited to continue growing as a dancer while learning from a new culture and exploring a different artistic style.

What do you love most about dancing, performing and your life as a ballerina?

I really love the entire process. I enjoy rehearsals a lot – being in the studio, discovering the character, and exploring how different roles feel in your body. I also love working on my technique and building towards a strong performance.

Of course, being on stage is the best part, where you truly get to express yourself and share the character with the audience in your own unique way. That experience is very special to me.

You'll be performing the role of Kitri in Don Quixote when it opens in February. Have you performed this role and ballet before, and if so, what do you think about it?

I performed the role of Kitri at Cincinnati Ballet in a different version of Don Quixote, and I absolutely loved it. I really love the character as she allows you to feel completely free on stage and express yourself fully.

Kitri is a very fierce, sassy, and feminine role, and I think it’s a wonderful way to connect with both your femininity and your strength at the same time. It’s one of my favourite roles to perform, and I’m very excited to explore a new version of it with BRB.

Why do you think audiences should come see Don Quixote?

I think audiences will love Don Quixote and should come to see it because it’s pure joy from start to finish. It’s full of energy, humour, passion, incredible dancing, and beautiful music.