photo by Larry Graham
text by Sharon Litwin
Diogo de Lima is a Brazilian dancer, choreographer, and artistic director based in New Orleans, with a career spanning more than 25 years. For seven years he danced with Grupo Corpo, one of Brazil's most celebrated contemporary ballet companies, touring internationally.
From 2023 to 2026 he served as Artistic Director of Marigny Opera Ballet. Under his leadership, every production was built on an original score composed for the work and played live. He paired choreographers with composers and bands, including Sweet Crude, People Museum, and the Delachaise Ensemble, so that music and movement could discover and influence each other, creating something truly original by the voices of now. These collaborations brought new audiences to the ballet and new listeners to the music.
His choreography includes Querelle and Águas de Dezembro for Marigny Opera Ballet, LOEV for Divinadança in São Paulo, É Só for Ririe-Woodbury, Pygmalion for New Orleans Opera, and A Streetcar Named Desire with an original orchestral score by Tucker Fuller. He has performed as a guest artist with the Limón Dance Company.
Since 2006 he has been Senior Professor of Practice in dance at Tulane University, teaching ballet, modern, and choreography.