Hello, my name is Benjamin Brown Jones. 

I am an artist at heart, and have found my life's purpose is in giving meaningful pieces of myself to those that surround me. One of my favorite words is 'agape', which embodies a philosophy of unrequited love that I try to a better job at embodying with each passing day. As I grow, I learn how to integrate this compassionate ideal into my life, to learn to act purely for the betterment of those around me, regardless of reciprocation or response. I view my two life passions, hospitality and ballet, as an embodiment of the agape ideal. 

Upon discovering ballet at age four while at the YMCA, I became fixated on the art form. In my pursuit of a life in the performing arts, I spent summers in a few different cities across the country, honing my craft along the way. Freshly seventeen, I left high school and home, and moved to Chicago, a trainee at The Joffrey Ballet. In that environment, the caliber was incredibly high, and I found myself inspired and pushed by the talent and hard work of those around me. 

After a year in Chicago, I moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, and joined the Carolina Ballet. It was here that I learned about the importance of self-knowledge. After four fruitful programs with the company, I left in January of 2024, recognizing that I needed to step aside and recalibrate.

In the background of my dance career, a parallel dream emerged, as I continually fell more and more in love with the world of restaurants. All my life I have loved food, and grew up with my mother's great cooking, and around my family's delicious sausage and bacon company Jones Dairy Farm. From my first job in the dish room at The Heights Kitchen in Madison, I began to find fulfillment in service, and respected the work immensely. 

Upon moving back to Chicago I centered myself in restaurant work. In February of 2025, I joined the Michelin-starred team behind Galit, contributing to the successful opening and operations of their new Chicago concept, Café Yaya. 

Now, I am a company dancer at the Los Angeles Ballet, and dream of the restaurant I will open some day in the near future, when the time is right. 

I continue to balance these dreams, and never cast one entirely aside for the other. Life is about maintaining a balance of all the pursuits that keep you fulfilled. I am far from perfect, and I don't and will never claim to be. Learning is a lifelong pursuit.