Awilda Rodríguez Lora is a remarkable queer woman artist and culture manager whose transdisciplinary performances challenge prevailing notions of gender, sexuality, and self-determination. Harnessing the mediums of movement, video, and sound to explore the intricate terrain of the “economy of the body”, Awilda daringly brings the private into the public sphere as a strategy to humanize the experience of art consumption.

Born in Mexico, raised in Puerto Rico, and working across North and South America and the Caribbean, Rodríguez Lora’s performances traverse a rich tapestry of geographic histories and realities. Her work fosters progressive dialogues concerning the enduring legacies of hemispheric colonialism and the fluid boundaries of race, gender, class, and sexuality. Awilda has been welcomed in several Artist Talks and Residences at esteemed institutions such as the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance (BAAD), the Art Institute of Chicago, Columbia College Dance Center, and the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor).

Nominated for a US Artist Fellowship in New York, she possesses a vast academic experience and has issued several publications and catalogues. Founding collaborator of La Rosario in Santurce, she dedicates herself to her life project; La Mujer Maravilla, while serving as the Academic Leader for the Dance Program at Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in San Juan, Puerto Rico. With over a decade of experience as an artist, curator, mentor, and academic leader, she remains committed to exploring how artistic economies can be harnessed to support alternative ways of life rooted in community, creativity, and social justice.

BLESSTONIO’s eclectic sound compels audiences and his dynamic energy creates electric dance floor experiences. As a club dancer committed to fostering an inclusive, dance-focused environment, BLESSTONIO believes in the legacies of clubs and dance floors as brave spaces for “queerness, blackness, transgression, community, inclusivity, freedom, liberation, inspiration, and radical joy” (Honey Dijon), where dancers and DJs are equal, active participants in protecting these sacred spaces of movement.

Miriam Stefany Paz, professionally known as DJ Miriam, is a Guatemalan-American DJ, event curator, and founder of MÁS EDM based in Chicago, IL. Since beginning her DJ career in 2019, she has become one of the Midwest’s leading Latin and global sounds DJs, known for her high-energy performances, genre-blending sets, and commitment to building community through music.

Prior to launching MÁS EDM, Miriam helped create spaces that empowered and celebrated women in nightlife and entertainment. Today, her work focuses on elevating Latin culture and underrepresented artists through innovative events and unforgettable dance floor experiences.

Career highlights include opening for Bad Bunny and performing at major festivals such as Sueños Music Festival, Baja Beach Fest, HERA Music Festival, and North Coast Music Festival.

Anthony Abbinanti, better known as Selector King Tony, is a Chicago-based musician, sound engineer, record collector, and selector whose deep passion for Jamaican music has shaped more than a decade of involvement in the city’s music community. A longtime member of Chicago reggae and dub group The Drastics, Tony has performed and shared stages with legendary artists including Johnny Osbourne, Sister Nancy, Derrick Morgan, Dennis Alcapone, Susan Cadogan, Derrick Harriott, and many others.

As a selector, Tony has held all-vinyl residencies at venues throughout Chicago, including Estereo, Sportsman’s Club, Punch House, The Owl, Broken Shaker, and The Wild Hare. His selections are informed by a collection of more than 6,000 Jamaican 45s spanning ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub, roots, dancehall, and beyond. Through his extensive knowledge of Jamaican music and sound system culture, Tony explores the far-reaching influence of the island’s musical innovations, tracing connections that continue to shape genres and communities around the world. His sets blend rare selections, deep cuts, and foundational classics, offering audiences both a celebration of Jamaican music and a journey through its enduring cultural legacy.

Patricia Reyes, better known as Selectress Kinky P, is a Chicago-based DJ, record collector, visual artist, educator, and co-founder of Beatdown Sound System. Originally from Baja California, Mexico, she has spent over a decade sharing her passion for Jamaican music and sound system culture through all-vinyl selections rooted in reggae, dub, roots, lovers rock, dancehall, and beyond. Her performances have taken her across the United States, Mexico, Jamaica, Europe, and Japan, where she is known for thoughtful selections, deep crates, and a unique ability to move between genres and eras while keeping the dance engaged.

A dedicated vinyl collector, Kinky P has a particular passion for Jamaican music from the 1970s and 1980s, with an extensive collection of roots reggae, dub, early dancehall, and rub-a-dub. Whether playing meditative roots, heavyweight dub, or digital dancehall classics, her sets reflect a deep love of the music and the culture that surrounds it.

Latonya Style is one of Jamaica’s most renowned Dance Instructors with over two decades of experience in teaching all levels & ages in various dance genres. She has an undeniable passion for Dancehall & is highly sought after as a Master Tutor, Choreographer & Dance Extraordinaire in this genre.

Latonya travels across the globe, spreading the authentic dancehall culture in far away places such as Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa & the Americas. She has developed a series of original dance moves, stamping her signature style on the industry by infusing her classy, sexy, movements, with the unapologetically raw, dancehall ideologies, to create her prestigious “Stylish Moves” program.

Latonya continues to push Jamaican popular culture to new horizons through her diverse portfolio of lectures, books, certification courses, dance workshops, official music, and engaging edutainment content. Her contributions as an educator & visionary are monumental as she inspires generations of creatives to turn their passion into their profession.

Rave Approved Soundsystem is a Chicago-based audio collective whose handmade speakers bring a full depth of sound, clear definition, and pumping bass.

Founded by David Beltran and Myles Emmons, the soundsystem grew from a shared passion for audio engineering, underground dance culture, and design-build projects. This project would not be possible without the enduring support of Chicago’s independent music community and the dedication of our friends, collaborators, and family.

Rave Approved Soundsystem has collaborated with not only local artists and organizers, but also Detroit, Brooklyn, LA, and Miami, and internationally from the Philippines, Bangladesh, Mexico, and the UK, as a part of their dedication to an inclusive global sound.