Choreography
Intensive
Make work with intention. Develop your voice. Learn how to build a career around it.
Give your choreographic voice room to grow.
Work with dancers, test ideas, receive direct feedback, and develop your craft with artists who understand both the creative process and the realities of a choreographic career.
This small, application-based intensive is designed for emerging choreographers ages 15–25 who want to become more intentional about what they make—and how they share it.
Develop your craft
Explore movement vocabulary, structure, musicality, spatial design, and the relationship between an idea and what an audience experiences.
Work with dancers
Practice communicating your intentions, shaping material in rehearsal, and responding when an idea changes through collaboration.
Build your next step
Connect your studio work with strategies for presenting yourself, building professional relationships, and pursuing commission opportunities.
Learn with artists who are making work.
Work closely with Danielle Diniz, Julianna Rubio Slager, and Libby Dennen.
Danielle Diniz
Guest Choreographer & Mentor
Danielle will mentor, support, and give feedback to participants as they develop their choreography.
During the program, she will also be setting a separate work on Ballet Five Eight’s Trainees, bringing an active creative process into the same artistic environment.
Julianna Rubio Slager
Artistic Director & Resident Choreographer
Develop your choreographic skills, artistic intention, and the decisions that help an idea become a cohesive work.
Coaching also addresses branding and commission strategies for your emerging career.
Libby Dennen
Associate Artistic Director
Refine your rehearsal approach, communication, and ability to shape movement with clarity.
Libby will work closely with the team on studio craft and the professional skills that support your work beyond rehearsal.
Your work, with thoughtful feedback.
Make choices, test them, listen, and revise. Mentorship helps you strengthen your judgment while developing your own choreographic voice.
Make. Watch. Refine.
Develop original material with Summer Intensive dancers through rehearsal, mentoring, and work-in-progress feedback.
Learn to distinguish between an interesting phrase and a choice that belongs in the work. Practice revising, clarifying, and recognizing what your dancers bring to the process.
The intensive culminates in a showing of participants’ work.
Support the work with a professional strategy.
A choreographic career also requires the ability to describe your work, present it clearly, and build relationships.
Branding & artistic identity
Consider how to communicate your interests and perspective. Develop language and materials that help others understand what you make and why.
Commission strategies
Explore how to identify opportunities, introduce your work, and approach professional conversations with preparation and intention.
Rehearsal communication
Practice giving clear direction, responding to questions, and making productive use of your time with dancers.
Individual feedback
Connect your creative goals with practical next steps through close mentorship and conversation about your work.
Tuition, housing & financial aid
July 12–16, 2027 · Four emerging choreographers
Program costs
Training takes place at Ballet Five Eight Studios in Orland Park, Illinois. Contact the School office about housing eligibility and travel arrangements.
Need-based financial aid
Need-based financial aid is available to select BIPOC choreographers participating in the 2027 Choreography Intensive.
To inquire about eligibility and the financial aid process, email info@ballet58.org .
Applications due March 15, 2027.
Four choreographers will be selected.
Prepare your materials early so your
work samples clearly represent
your choreography.
Show us how you think through movement.
Prepare a headshot, résumé, cover letter, and video of choreography you created. Your materials should help the team understand your experience, interests, and goals for the intensive.
Choreography video
- Up to five minutes total.
- Use continuous excerpts rather than a promotional montage.
- Each excerpt should be at least 90 seconds long.
- Choose clear footage that lets the team see your choreography.
- Begin with a brief introduction about yourself and why you want to participate.
Cover letter
Tell us what you are exploring as a choreographer, what experience you bring, and where you would like support.
Consider both your studio goals and your questions about developing an emerging career.
Submit your headshot, résumé, cover letter, and choreography video through DanceApply.
Apply for Choreography Intensive consideration specifically. A standard dancer audition does not replace choreography work samples.
Curiosity belongs in the room.
Ballet Five Eight is rooted in Christian faith and creates work that sparks discussion on life, faith, and human dignity. We welcome artists of all backgrounds and beliefs.
You do not need to share our faith to participate. Respectful collaboration, thoughtful engagement, and a willingness to explore are central to the experience.
Choreography Intensive questions
What are the dates and cost?
The intensive runs July 12–16, 2027. Tuition is $750. Optional housing is an additional $750, for a combined total of $1,500.
Who should apply?
Emerging choreographers ages 15–25 who want to develop their work through direct mentorship, rehearsal experience, and practical career guidance.
How many choreographers will be selected?
Four choreographers will be selected. The small cohort supports close mentorship and individual feedback.
When is the application deadline?
Applications are due March 15, 2027. Submit the required headshot, résumé, cover letter, and choreography video through DanceApply.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. Need-based financial aid is available to select BIPOC choreographers this year. Email info@ballet58.org to inquire about eligibility and the process.
Who will mentor participants?
Participants will work directly with Danielle Diniz, Julianna Rubio Slager, and Libby Dennen.
How is Danielle Diniz involved?
Danielle will mentor, support, and give feedback to Choreography Intensive participants. During the program, she will also set a separate work on Ballet Five Eight’s Trainees.
Will I create my own choreography?
Yes. Participants develop original work with Summer Intensive dancers, supported by rehearsal time and mentor feedback. Danielle’s Trainee commission is a separate project.
Does the program include career development?
Yes. Julianna and Libby will work with participants on choreography skills inside the studio, alongside branding and commission strategies for emerging careers.
What should my choreography video show?
Submit up to five minutes of clear footage of choreography you created. Use continuous excerpts of at least 90 seconds each rather than a promotional montage. Include a brief on-camera introduction.
Will there be a showing?
The intensive culminates in a showing of participants’ work, following rehearsal and feedback throughout the creative process.
Is this the same as applying as a Summer Intensive dancer?
No. Choreography Intensive applicants submit choreography work samples and apply for the choreographer cohort specifically.
Where does the program take place?
Ballet Five Eight Studios, 11545 183rd Place, Suite 101, Orland Park, IL 60467.
Who can help with questions?
For program and application questions, email schooloffice@ballet58.org . For need-based financial aid inquiries, email info@ballet58.org .
Develop the work.
Build what comes next.
Studio craft, direct mentorship, and professional strategies for your emerging choreographic career.
Applications due March 15, 2027.
Ballet Five Eight Studios
11545 183rd Place, Suite 101
Orland Park, IL 60467