World Premieres by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Kirven Douthit-Boyd Highlight the Celebration

Saint Louis Dance Theatre (STLDT) proudly launches its 15th Anniversary Love Languages season—presented by Paul and Kathleen Matecki—with the highly anticipated Fall Series. The weekend features four performances at COCA’s Catherine B. Berges Theatre, Nov. 14–16, 2025, including two world premieres that showcase the company’s artistic innovation and global reach.

Renowned Belgian-Colombian choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa makes her St. Louis debut with Grassville, a surreal and theatrical work that imagines a playful, otherworldly landscape. Known internationally for her imaginative collaborations with New York City Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, and the Joffrey Ballet, Lopez Ochoa brings her boundary-pushing vision to STLDT for the first time. The piece features striking, plant-inspired headpieces designed by acclaimed costumer Mark Zappone, whose “architecture in motion” aesthetic heightens the work’s visual storytelling.

“The headpieces set the rules,” Lopez Ochoa explains. “The choreography bends around them with bold, Vogue-like poses inspired by fashion and Salvador Dalí.”

STLDT Artistic Director Kirven Douthit-Boyd also unveils a new creation, continuing his exploration of human connection and emotional resonance through movement. A former principal dancer with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Douthit-Boyd blends technical precision with expressive intensity, further shaping the company’s voice since taking artistic leadership in 2022.

“Dance is the physical manifestation of emotions—the key attribute of refined storytelling,” says Douthit-Boyd. “Opening our Love Languages season with these two world premieres during our crystal anniversary celebrates dance as a universal language that speaks to us all.”

The Grassville world premiere will be featured during STLDT’s signature Movers & Shakers Ball on Nov. 15, part of the weekend’s series of performances.

Tickets are available at https://www.saintlouisdancetheatre.org

Photography by Pratt + Kreidich in partnership with 21c Museum Hotel St. Louis





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