Explore what’s coming up in our most innovative season yet. Get a sneak peek of the 2025/26 repertoire, guest choreographers and collaborators. Tickets on sale now!
Lynn Colburn Shapiro, See Chicago Dance
“Often, when an artistic entity is in service of an ideology, the art suffers. With Ballet 5:8, both seem to nourish and enhance each other. The dancing was polished and delightful, and came across as a breath of fresh air.”
On April 18th at 7:30PM you can be the first to experience this spectacular performance.
The Curious Life of Edgar Allan Poe is a groundbreaking new ballet by Julianna Rubio Slager and Glorielle Niedfeldt, blending neo-classical ballet and African Diasporic movement.
Supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of America 250, it reimagines Poe’s life through his stories as a redemptive exploration of grief, beauty, and moral awakening.
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![A person dressed in a gray suit and top hat is performing a dance move, balancing on one foot with the other leg extended and bent, against a colorful, abstract background. The text reads "The Curious Life of Edwyn A. Poe."]()
The Curious Life of Edgar Allan Poe
Featuring choreography by Glorielle Niedfeldt and Julianna Rubio Slager, Ballet 5:8 will tell a little known perspective on Poe. The Curious Life of Edgar Allan Poe offers a breathtaking portrayal of a man wrestling with darkness and redemption. His story takes place in the midst of rising tensions, as Americans wrestle with slavery and the brink of war.
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BareFace
Step into the mesmerizing world of BareFace, a fresh and enthralling dance production that delves deep into thought-provoking themes and evocative storytelling. Inspired by the ancient myth of Cupid and Psyche, choreographer Julianna Rubio Slager tells a female-driven, utterly compelling story of love, jealousy, and a case against the gods.
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The Thick and the Clear
Building on BareFace’s momentum, The Thick & the Clear is a conference on C.S. Lewis and the Arts. We invite you into a weekend of exploration—where art is thick with meaning and clear with grace. We’ll have discussion, lectures and deep exploration, culminating in the performance of BareFace. -
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Emerging Artist Showcase
Experience the next generation of Ballet 5:8 Artists as our advanced students in our Studio Company choreograph, produce, stage manage, light and dance in this production!
Don't miss a chance to support these talented emerging artists. -
![A woman in a black shirt gesturing with her hands in front of a colorful illustrated background of houses, with text reading 'The House on Mango Street' at the top.]()
The House on Mango Street
Ballet 5:8’s Second Company brings Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street to life in an evocative ballet that follows young Esperanza Cordero’s coming-of-age journey in a vibrant yet restrictive Chicago neighborhood. This production highlights themes of cultural identity, resilience, and the strength of women’s voices.
Ballet 5:8 is a female- and minority-led professional ballet company recognized for artistic excellence, innovation, and beauty.
Under the direction of Mexican American choreographer Julianna Rubio Slager—who has created an astonishing 60 ballets in her career and was named a 2023 National Visiting Fellow with the School of American Ballet—the company produces bold, story-driven works rooted in life, faith, and diverse perspectives.
A Resident Company at the Harris Theater, Ballet 5:8 has been featured in Dance Magazine, Modern Luxury, Newcity, and Third Coast Review, with coverage on PBS, WGN, NBC, ABC, and FOX.
BareFace & The Thick & the Clear
A myth retold in movement. A weekend exploring C.S. Lewis’s Till We Have Faces—ideas that are thick with meaning and clear with grace. Join us for the conference and the performance of BareFace.
At the School of Ballet 5:8, students receive comprehensive, high-caliber training rooted in classical ballet and informed by the demands of today’s professional dance world.
Under the leadership of School Principal Miranda Rubio Opsal and Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager, we emphasize strong technique, authentic artistry, and the power of storytelling—creating a space where students of all ages thrive in body, mind, and spirit.
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