Board & Staff
Ballet 5:8's staff and board members are a diverse group of artists and business people who are passionate about honest, relevant, breathtaking dance.
Julianna Rubio Slager
Artistic Director & Resident Choreographer
Ballet 5:8 tours nationally, bringing Rubio Slager's critically acclaimed ballets such as Reckless, Butterfly, The Space in Between and BareFace to audiences across the nation. Slager has won several grants from the Illinois Arts Council and was selected for the DCASE Individual Artist Grant in 2015. Rubio Slager is a groundbreaking figure within the field, as one of the few Mexican American Artistic Directors and Resident Choreographers of professional ballet companies in the world. She hopes that her leadership and creative work at Ballet 5:8 will pave the way for other women and minorities in professional ballet.
Ballet 5:8 Artistic Director and Resident Choreographer Julianna Rubio Slager began her dance training at a local studio in Spring Arbor, Michigan. Rubio Slager went on to study under notable teachers from the New York City Ballet, the Vaganova Academy, and Puerto Rican National Ballet. Rubio Slager enjoyed dancing under Barbara Smith at Greater Lansing Ballet, and also under Kathy Thibodeaux and Sol Maisonet at Ballet Magnificat. Upon moving to Chicago, Rubio Slager had the opportunity to work as a freelance artist, teacher, and choreographer in the Greater Chicago area.
Rubio Slager was instrumental in the co-founding of Ballet 5:8 in 2012. Rubio Slager is known for her unique ability to engage audiences in discussions of life and faith through her choreography. She has created over 50 works for the Company and School during her tenure at Ballet 5:8. She has had the privilege of working daily at the School of Ballet 5:8 and has guest taught at over 100 schools across the United States. In 2023 Rubio Slager was awarded the coveted position of National Visiting Fellow at the School of American Ballet.
Jeremy Slager
Executive Director
Jeremy is enthusiastic about making the Ballet 5:8 vision a reality. He sees a need in the community to train young men and women physically, mentally, emotionally, vocationally and spiritually – and he’s seen Ballet 5:8 meet this need for over a decade. He believes in the power of beauty to transform and loves the depth of work being created at Ballet 5:8.
Jeremy Slager is originally from Spring Arbor, Michigan and received a Bachelor’s Degree from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. He was the Associate Pastor at St. Paul’s Bible Church in Beverly, Chicago for six years before becoming Digital Marketing Manager at Moody Publishers.
He has served in a volunteer capacity throughout Ballet 5:8’s history, building sprung floors and set pieces, developing marketing strategies and running Front of House during performances. In 2022, he received the Nehemiah Award for his service as a volunteer.
Cynthia Newland
Board President
At Belhaven University, she serves on the Faculty Council and Education Advisory Council. Cynthia is a board member of USA IBC and the Mississippi Alliance for Arts Education, and a member of various dance and arts associations. Currently teaching part-time at Belhaven, she travels globally, offering dance training and equipping tools on "Nourishing the Body, Soul, and Spirit" for all ages.
Cynthia A. Newland holds an MFA in Dance from Arizona State University and a BFA in Dance from George Mason University. Before joining Belhaven University, she directed New Field Dance Theater in the East Bay of San Francisco. With nearly three decades of experience, she has traveled globally as a teacher, choreographer, and performer, collaborating with organizations like Campus Crusade for Christ, International Christian Embassy, and Youth With a Mission.
Her contributions extend to inclusive dance, where she has crafted numerous works for individuals with and without disabilities, showcased through VSA International and USA International Ballet Competition. Cynthia has received accolades, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Mississippi Alliance for Arts Education and the Humanities Teacher Award from the Mississippi Humanities Council.
Caitlin Wuethrich
Board Treasurer
Caitlin Wuethrich was first introduced to Ballet 5:8 in its founding year, 2012. Caitlin grew up dancing and had the opportunity to attend Ballet 5:8's first summer intensive. It is there that Caitlin officially surrendered her life to the Lord. She has since been on staff, held an internship, hosted shows, and now is a board member for Ballet 5:8.
Caitlin graduated from Anderson University in 2015 with a degree in Dance and Business. A notable performance was her participation in the College Dance Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C in 2016. While at Anderson University, Caitlin and her college roommate started Abide Dance Ministry, a ministry that offers a space for dance worship on campus. The ministry still exists at Anderson University. Since graduating Caitlin has continued teaching dance and now owns her own business where she serves small businesses through freelance marketing.
Mia Kay
Board Secretary
Mia brings over two decades of diverse experience to the dance world, excelling as a dancer, instructor, choreographer, and administrator. With a decade in dance administration, she served as Studio Manager for Colorado Ballet Society, overseeing various programs and implementing educational initiatives.
Her journey began in West Michigan, and Mia's impact extended to directing and choreographing for productions, influencing dancers who pursued professional careers. Certified in Dance Injury & Prevention and Progressing Ballet Technique Instruction, she launched Tendu by Miss Mia LLC in 2022, offering global consulting.
As Director of Operations for Colorado Ballet Society, Mia collaborates on operational strategies, fostering a culture of opportunity and success. Joining Ballet 5:8's Board of Directors for her first season, Mia continues her commitment to the dance community.
Mia is looking forward to serving on Ballet 5:8's Board of Directors for her first season!
Amanda Daubendiek
Board Member
Amanda started dancing at the age of 3 in Woodland Park, Colorado. At the age of 12, she made her way to Colorado Ballet Society where she trained under Patricia Hoffman as well as many other dance instructors. During her time at Ballet Society, Amanda danced many roles, including the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Winter Fairy in The Nutcracker, Tatiana in A Midsummers Night's Dream, and Swanilda in Coppelia. She also performed as a guest artist with San Diego Ballet as Clara in the Nutcracker as well as Marzipan in Ballet Idaho’s Nutcracker. She was a 5 time Denver Ballet Guild scholarship winner including a first-place win in her final year competing. After graduating she moved to Denver to dance with Colorado Ballet. Since ending her career, Amanda has earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and now is back at Colorado Ballet Society teaching and handling the billing and finance of the school.
Ashley Hanson
Board Member
Ashley Hanson is from Tucson, AZ. and attended the University of Arizona’s School of Dance where she studied under the direction of Jory Hancock, Melissa Lowe and Susan Quinn. In 2006, Ashley moved to Jackson, MS. to begin her professional training with Ballet Magnificat! under the direction of Jiri and Cassandra Voborsky and Kathy Thibodeaux. In 2008 she was appointed to Company Apprentice and in 2009 to Company Artist. During her time at Ballet Magnificat! Ashley taught and performed across the U.S. and Canada as well as twelve countries throughout the Middle East, Asia, Europe, South America and the Caribbean. In 2016, Ashley and her husband moved to Colorado Springs, CO. where she taught ballet, jazz, and contemporary in both studio and college settings.
Ashley and Kason formed META Performance in 2019 and since that time they have been providing movement and performance coaching and consulting to dance studios and companies in Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia and Kansas. In 2023 they created NDTS (Neuro Developmental Training System) and launched their first online training course, “Foundational Movement Concepts for Dance”. Ashley and Kason look forward to expanding their business to support as many dancers, dance instructors, and health and wellness practitioners as possible in the years to come.
Kason Hanson
Board Member
Kason Hanson is originally from Minot, ND. He began his dance training under the direction of Mr. Rinat Mouzafarov. (Graduate of the Vaganova Academy and dancer with the Bolshoi). In 2011 he moved to Jackson, MS. to join Ballet Magnificat’s professional training program under the direction of Jiri and Cassandra Voborsky, and Kathy Thibodeaux. Following the completion of his training, Kason focused his efforts towards conditioning and injury prevention for dancers. He received his personal training certification through the American Council on Exercise in 2016, and in 2019, graduated Summa Cum Laude as a Physical Therapist Assistant. He and his wife Ashley then formed META Performance, to provide movement and performance coaching for ballet dancers as well as training for athletes of other backgrounds. Since its formation, they have been collecting movement screen data from dancers across the United States to provide objective benchmarks for training decisions and program development.
In the spring of 2020 Kason graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Health Care Science with a minor in Music Composition and Sound Design from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. In 2023 Kason and Ashley created NDTS (Neuro Developmental Training System) and launched their first online training course, “Foundational Movement Concepts for Dance”. They look forward to expanding their business to partner with as many dancers, dance instructors, and health and wellness practitioners as possible to bring dance into the future.
Lawrence Jackson
Board Member
Lawrence M. Jackson is an Associate Professor of Dance at The George Mason University School of Dance. Professionally, Lawrence devoted several years with the internationally acclaimed modern dance company, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble. Additionally, he has performed as a guest artist in a variety of national and international concert dance venues. Choreographically, he has produced over 95 original choreographic works. Most notably, Lawrence choreographed an off-Broadway production, Separate and Equal, which was subsequently nominated for an AUDELCO Award for Best Choreography.
As a scholar, he has published in scholarly journals in the field of Black Dance. Most notably, he authored, co-edited, and published a special edition devoted to Black Dance in the Journal of Pan African Studies, the second occurrence in history, where an academic journal edition was committed solely to Black Dance. He currently serves on the editorial board of Siyabonana: The Journal of Africana Studies.
Dr. Scott Jones
Board Member
Dr. Jones feels most at home when experiencing life through physical activity. “There is no greater sense of fulfillment as a health care provider than through the collaborative process of physical preparation, whether coaching a return to athletics, discovering new activities, or guiding the achievement of personal bests. Human movement is not merely a consciously directed change of position, but a behavioral expression reflecting the interface between our being and circumstances. It is this integration of our individual journeys that inspires me to help others.” A former Air Force officer and university professor, and current owner of Peak Health and Performance in Colorado Springs, Scott has over two decades of experience with rehabilitation, injury prevention, and strength and conditioning at the highest levels of athletics. Scott is married to his first love, JoyAnna, and is the proud father of Josiah, Eden, and Amianna.
Amy Kozol Sanderson
Executive Director Emeritus & Co-Founder
Ballet 5:8 Executive Director Emeritus Amy Kozol Sanderson received her classical ballet training at Ballet Quad Cities School of Dance in Rock Island, IL under former Ballet Quad Cities Artistic Director Johanne Jakhelln Constant. She performed with the Ballet Quad Cities professional company, with Ballet Magnificat in Jackson, MS, and later with Ballet 5:8 until stepping back from the stage in 2015. During her performing career, Sanderson danced several soloist roles created for her including Miep in Johanne Jakhelln's The Story of a Young Girl’s Life, an original ballet based on the Diary of Anne Frank, and The Accuser in Julianna Slager's The Story of Job. She has BA in Professional Writing and Business Administration, Magna Cum Laude, and worked in the administrative offices at the Joffrey Academy of Dance prior to becoming one of the co-founders of Ballet 5:8 in 2012. Sanderson is honored to help make honest, relevant, breathtaking dance possible through her role as Ballet 5:8 Executive Director.
Board of Directors
Cynthia Newland, President
Founder and Director of Alible3 and Dancer Wellness Care, Dance Educator at Belhaven University and Palm Beach Atlantic University
Caitlin Wuethrich, Treasurer
CEO of Caitlin Wuethrich Media
Mia Calabrese, Secretary
Dance Studio Consultant, Owner of Tendu by Miss Mia
Director of Operations, Colorado Ballet Society
Amanda Daubendiek Colorado Ballet Society
Ashley Hanson META Performance
Kason Hanson META Performance
Lawrence Johnson Associate Professor of Dance at The George Mason University School of Dance, editorial board of Siyabonana: The Journal of Africana Studies.
Dr. Scott Jones Peak Health and Performance
Staff
Victoria Bush
Studio Manager
Libby Dennen
Rehearsal Director
Lezlie Gray
Social Media Associate
Haley Dahlberg
Senior Studio Manager
Kayla Kowach
Executive Associate
Kristie Kahns
Company Photographer
Lorianne Robertson
Resident Costume Designer, Head of Wardrobe
Valerie Linsner
Pre-Professional Program Co-Director
Shawna Paterson
Bookkeeper
Miranda Rubio Opsal
Pre-Professional Program Co-Director
Sophia Snider
Wellness Coordinator
Advisory Council
Karl “KJ” Johnson
Director, C.S. Lewis Institute Chicago
Ben Merrill
Client Service Manager, Next Level Planning Group