Ballet 5:8 is a female and minority-led premiere ballet company recognized for artistic excellence, innovation and beauty. Mexican American Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager is a 2023 National Visiting Fellow for the School of American Ballet and a finalist for the Chicago Dancemakers Forum. She creates dynamic ballet experiences drawing from life, faith, and diverse perspectives that tell stories for the 21st century.

Ballet 5:8 is a Resident Company with the Harris Theater and has been featured in Modern Luxury, Dance Magazine, Newcity Magazine, Third Coast Review, with segments on PBS, WGN, NBC, ABC, and FOX.  Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager has been interviewed on NPR Radio, Karl and Crew in the Mornings, and the 5.6.7.EIGHT Podcast.

Since its founding in 2012, Ballet 5:8 has presented more than 50 critically acclaimed ballets forging a robust repertoire. Headquartered in Orland Park, IL, Ballet 5:8 is the only performing arts company in Chicago’s South Suburbs. The School of Ballet 5:8 serves more than 400 students a year as a cultural staple in the community. The School of Ballet 5:8 is a non-profit, community minded organization that provides accessible dance education at the highest levels. Students in the School come from 35 neighborhoods in the Chicago area, and many of our advanced students audition from around the U.S. to attend the program. Our performances are rooted in faith and intended to be a celebration of the good, true and beautiful stories that exalt character, teamwork and kindness.The School also has a Beverly Campus on Chicago’s South Side, and a Lakeview Campus on Chicago’s North Side, raising up the next generation of aspiring artists.

At Ballet 5:8, we celebrate and embrace diversity, recognizing that it enriches our art and community. We are committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion through reflecting cultural diversity, making ballet accessible to all, creating an inclusive environment, ensuring equitable practices, and fostering continuous learning and accountability. By prioritizing these principles, we strive to create a vibrant, inclusive community where everyone can experience innovative storytelling and breathtaking dance. Our senior leadership time is 40% ALAANA and 80% female. We are deeply invested in creating a space where people are valued and uplifted.

'The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.’ This quote, by the great philosopher Aristotle, sums up my view on choreography. Dance can be reduced to a mere technical form of beats, steps and geometrically pleasing formations, in contrast art must bring out for the audience a significance that would otherwise remain veiled. It is my goal, in each of my works, to bring something to the audience that causes them to see a familiar story or thought from a new perspective. This manifests in many different forms, from narrative to abstract works, this is the common thread in my body of work.”

- Julianna Rubio Slager