Sophia Snider | Dry Bones

A celebration of our hope in God, Dry Bones tells the epic ancient story of the Valley of Dry Bones from the Book of Ezekiel. Hear what the Ballet 5:8 artists have to say about this innovative new ballet by Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager.

Sophia Snider, Second Company

Q: What has stood out to you the most about the choreography of Dry Bones? How is Dry Bones different from other ballets in the Ballet 5:8 repertoire?

A: The choreography for Dry Bones is different from anything I have ever danced with Ballet 5:8. This ballet is the opposite of Golden Sessions, a classically romantic piece danced in pink pointe shoes and romantic tutus, which I also premiered in this fall.

During the Dry Bones choreographic process, we attempted to deconstruct our movement down to bones! We asked ourselves, “How can we move while looking like we have no muscle? Like we are lifeless, empty bones?” As dancers, we had to let go of our technicalities and placement to create sharp, interesting movement with unique, and even spooky formations. During one of the sections of this ballet, the dancers start on the floor like a pile of bones. Imagine Ezekiel gazing over a valley of lifeless bones… This is what we are portraying and literally bringing to life for the audience.

Q: What does the story of the Valley of Dry Bones mean to you? How do you convey this meaning through your dancing?

A: The Valley of Dry Bones symbolized the spiritual deadness of Israel. As Ezekiel walked through the valley, the Lord spoke to him, asking if the bones could live. Ezekiel responds, “O Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” (See Ezekiel chapter 37). God alone can revive a whole nation. The picture of thousands of rattling bones coming together to form a living, breathing army is unbelievable and truly reflects the majesty and power of God. Dry Bones is about God making His name known throughout the nations. As a Christian ballet dancer, I always want my dancing to point back to my Creator. While we are dead to sin, we are alive in Christ! I hope that the audience is able to draw on the differences in the movement of the “lifeless bones” and the movement of the “living, breathing army” to understand the power of the Spirit working.

Q: Why should audience members see Dry Bones?

A: Dry Bones is ultimately about hope! Like the hope for Israel, we have a solid, foundational hope in our Savior, Jesus Christ. As I mentioned previously, the choreography is fresh and the story meaningful, especially in light of the pandemic. The music that Julianna Slager selected for this work reflects the edginess of the valley as well as the calm of the vast army full of breath and life. Let us come together and celebrate through this performance - our Heavenly Father is resurrecting an army equipped to bring His name to the world.

The online premiere of Dry Bones will be Friday, November 13. Learn more at ballet58.org/online.