This August, Ballet 5:8 premieres the BIOS Project—a groundbreaking platform that elevates real women’s stories of survival, displacement, injustice, and transformation through original dance works. Each woman is paired with a professional choreographer, who listens, interprets, and translates her lived experience into movement. The resulting ballets are raw, poignant, and unflinchingly honest—challenging traditional notions of who belongs in ballet and what stories deserve to be told. The evening also features a special guest performance by internationally acclaimed tenor Rod Dixon, whose vocal interpretations deepen the emotional resonance of each woman’s journey.
“How are you gonna fit 45, 50 years of life into 10 minutes?” asks Rachel Hutsell, choreographer and New York City Ballet alumna. “I had to take Christine’s story and turn it into a storyboard—a new narrative that could hold the weight of everything she’s lived.”
Hutsell’s ballet, one of four world premieres, follows Christine, a biracial woman and survivor of addiction and loss. The work traces her movement from isolation to community—ultimately arriving at hope.
“She talked about her life like a phoenix rising from the ashes,” Hutsell adds. “What comes out of those ashes is often more beautiful than we could’ve imagined.”
Watch Hutsell discuss the process: https://youtu.be/SQRUiQbLGK4
Featured Stories, Collaborators & Musical Tribute
Christine, a biracial woman and survivor of addiction and loss
Choreographer: Rachel Hutsell
Rachel Hutsell trained at the School of American Ballet and danced professionally with New York City Ballet before transitioning into freelance choreography and teaching in California. A gifted educator and guest artist, she brings a strong sense of musicality and narrative to her choreographic voice.
For BIOS, Rachel collaborated with Christine, a single mother from Chicago’s South Side whose story of trauma, recovery, and artistic self-expression informed a ballet that is both raw and redemptive.
“I wear patches and pins on my vest like pages in a storybook. Every one of them means something. I don’t wear dresses. I wear armor.” – Christine
Rod Dixon will perform “Stand” in Christine’s honor—a powerful anthem of survival and identity.
Charity, a Black woman and survivor of abuse and injustice
Choreographer: Jenni Richards
Originally from Sacramento, California, Jenni Richards is a former Nashville Ballet trainee and Milwaukee Ballet II dancer who joined Ballet 5:8’s professional company in 2022. As a storyteller and movement artist, she draws on a deeply personal approach to physical narrative.
In BIOS, Jenni partnered with Charity, an abuse survivor whose resilience and faith ground a piece that is both urgent and uplifting.
“There’s fire in me. But it’s not for show. It’s survival. It’s purpose. It’s calling.” – Charity
Rod Dixon will sing “Make Them Hear You,” amplifying Charity’s call for justice and dignity.
Lisa, a Chinese-American immigrant and survivor of cultural displacement
Choreographer: Jasmine Getz
Jasmine Getz, originally from Guatemala City and raised in the Chicago suburbs, trained with the Joffrey Ballet Trainee Program and later danced with Ballet Austin II. She is currently in her fourth season with Dayton Ballet and brings a voice shaped by spoken word and contemporary gesture.
For BIOS, Jasmine worked closely with Lisa, an immigrant from Hong Kong whose life has been marked by quiet sacrifice, resilience, and advocacy.
“I’ve carried the responsibility of being the voice. The one who stands up. I feel a deep duty to speak for people at risk—especially those who are overlooked.” – Lisa
Rod Dixon will offer “I Dreamed a Dream” as a tribute to Lisa’s journey through silence, loss, and hope.
Maritza, an Afro-Cuban, first-generation American
Choreographer: Silvita Diaz Brown
Silvita Diaz Brown is a Mexican-born choreographer based in Chicago, known for work that blends contemporary dance, theatrical storytelling, and spiritual symbolism. Her work has been presented at Links Hall, High Concept Labs, and festivals across the U.S.
In BIOS, she partnered with Maritza, whose upbringing was steeped in cultural complexity, intergenerational strength, and Afro-Caribbean pride.
“Being a Black woman carries its own weight. There’s a responsibility to shine, to walk into rooms and challenge assumptions—because often, a concept enters before I do.” – Maritza
Rod Dixon’s rendition of “Somewhere” captures the longing, complexity, and layered belonging of Maritza’s
BIOS Project Performance Dates and Venues:
● Thursday, August 22 – Logan Center for the Arts, Chicago
● Friday, August 23 – Ruth Page Center for the Arts, Chicago
● Saturday, August 31 – Ballet 5:8 Studios, Orland Park
Tickets and information available at www.ballet58.org/bios
About Ballet 5:8 Vision Statement
We envision a future where world-class dance grows from faith and welcomes every community. Mission Statement Ballet 5:8 sparks conversation on life, faith, and human dignity through powerful storytelling and breathtaking dance—challenging assumptions about who ballet is for, where it belongs, and what it can say.
Founded in 2012 by Julianna Rubio Slager and Amy Kozol, Ballet 5:8 is a women-led, Latino- and ALAANA-led organization based in Chicago’s South Suburbs. The company reaches over 10,000 audience members annually and is redefining ballet as a space where truth, beauty, and belonging are open to all. “Like the life cycle of the butterfly, Rubio Slager and her long-standing women-led team are aligned and committed to actualizing change in their labors of love and in society.” — D’onminique Boyd-Riley, See Chicago Dance