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Hill told TooFab her future plans with her wheelchair dance team, The Rollettes, while also gushing about her work on Wicked: One Wonderful Night.
The subject of representation is a common talking point across social media, audition rooms and studios in the world of dance. And while those conversations commonly revolve around race, the topic of disability is coming more and more to the forefront.
Chelsie Hill, a dancer and choreographer who uses a wheelchair, is making waves for disabled dancers. As founder of The Rolletes, a wheelchair dance team, she is creating a safe and creative space for people to move their body in different ways. Hill spoke with TooFab's Brianna Rose Hewitt at the American Ballet Theatre Holiday Benefit, opening up about her work with The Rollettes and Wicked: One Wonderful Night.
Wicked fans were delighted when Marissa Bode got her shining moment singing "Dancing Through Life" during the NBC special. Hill – whose favorite song is the Fiyero hit because "my daughter and I blast it and sing it all the time" – was able to work with both Bode and choreographer Chris Scott on the live production.
The media personality described the duo as "incredible," adding that "the whole team at Wicked was amazing. Like, honestly, truly [a] dream team, and I'm just honored to be able to say I was a part of it in just a little bit."
Hill told Broadway World earlier this year how the set "welcomed me with open arms. That is very rare to find, especially in the industry." They also made the experience accessible with not only accommodated parking and entrances, but also having "an accessibility team that was there the whole time."
Having a dedicated team was rare and Hill reflected to the outlet, "It felt like I was part of the team and I didn't have to ask permission to go certain places because I wasn’t sure if I could physically get there."
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View StoryAs Hill finishes the year on a high note, she has even more to look forward to in 2026, as the Rollettes -- who are currently based in Los Angeles -- are expanding to multiple cities. When asked what excites her most about the team growing, Hill shared insight, explaining that "a lot of people with disabilities can't travel, or it's really hard with them."
"It is also very expensive, so for us to be able to expand and go across America this year, we're so excited to be able to go to Houston and New Jersey and really bring The Rollettes experience to more families, more women across America," she continued.
As The Rollettes start on this new journey, they also have another goal in mind: "Right now our dream performance is the LA 28 Paralympics opening ceremony or closing ceremony, so that is our big goal right now and we're super focused on that."
When asked to name one thing people should know about wheelchair dancers, Hill passionately expressed, "I really want people to know that dance is dance, whether you're walking or rolling. And it doesn't matter what you look like, and there is no right or wrong way to dance."
She perfectly summed up her interview with the final words, "I would say dance is dance, whether you’re walking or rolling."
