Julianna Rubio Slager is a groundbreaking Mexican-American choreographer, educator, and artistic visionary who is reshaping the ballet landscape with bold, socially relevant storytelling. As the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Ballet 5:8—a nationally recognized company based in Chicago—Julianna brings a distinctly Latina voice to classical ballet, expanding the form’s capacity for cultural dialogue and human connection.

Early Life and Training

Though her family is originally from Mexico and New Mexico, Julianna was raised in Albion, Michigan. Julianna discovered her love for dance at a young age. Her initial training under Lori Ladwig provided a solid foundation, which she built upon through studies with renowned mentors from the Ann Arbor Ballet Theater, New York City Ballet, the Vaganova Academy, and the Puerto Rican National Ballet. Julianna also danced under Barbara Smith at Greater Lansing Ballet and under Kathy Thibodeaux and Sol Maisonet at Ballet Magnificat.

This wide-ranging foundation gave Julianna a profound appreciation for the precision of classical ballet and the freedom of contemporary movement—an intersection that defines her voice as a choreographer. As a Chicana artist, she draws deeply from her bicultural identity, pushing beyond ballet traditions to create work that is accessible, urgent, and transformative.

Founding Ballet 5:8

In 2012, Julianna co-founded Ballet 5:8 with Amy Sanderson, aiming to elevate ballet as a medium for discussion of life and taith. Since its founding, Ballet 5:8 has grown into a national touring company and school, known for its intellectual depth, thematic courage, and female-led leadership.

Under Julianna’s direction, Ballet 5:8 has premiered over 60 original ballets and toured to 17 U.S. cities. Her works—including La Llorona, Reckless, Día de los Vivos, The Lost Women of Juarez, Butterfly, The Space in Between, and BareFace—explore themes of faith, cultural identity, justice, and redemption through a choreographic language that is technically rigorous and emotionally resonant.

Choreographic Vision

Julianna is best known for her fearless narrative approach and ability to navigate weighty subjects without sacrificing beauty. Her ballets confront issues such as femicide, mental health, human trafficking, and spiritual longing—rendering these realities visible within the ethereal space of the stage.

She has been praised by See Chicago Dance for “transforming the oftentimes stiff perceptions of ballet into a malleable clay that we can all touch, be touched by, and play with.”

Whether drawing from ancient myth, sacred texts, or lived experience, Julianna crafts worlds that invite both discomfort and hope—an invitation for audiences to feel, reflect, and act.

Educator and Mentor

Beyond the stage, Julianna is a dedicated educator and mentor. With over two decades of teaching experience, she has impacted dancers at more than 100 ballet schools nationwide. As Artistic Director of the School of Ballet 5:8, she oversees programming for over 400 students annually, guiding them to pursue both technical excellence and personal authenticity.

Her approach honors each dancer’s unique story, encouraging the integration of culture, faith, and self-reflection into their artistic voice. Many of her students have gone on to study at leading institutions or dance professionally across the country.

Awards and Recognition

Julianna’s leadership and innovation have been recognized across the arts field. She was named a National Visiting Fellow at the School of American Ballet in 2023. She is a recipient of multiple Illinois Arts Council grants and was awarded a DCASE Individual Artist Grant in 2015. In 2023 she was a finalist for the Chicago Dancemakers Forum Lab Artist Award.

Her work has been featured by NBC, PBS, Fox, Chicago Magazine, Newcity Stage, See Chicago Dance as well as a plethora of podcasts and radio shows. Her work is applauded for its originality, emotional integrity, and social relevance.

Legacy and Vision

As one of the few Latina artistic directors of a professional ballet company in the U.S., Julianna is part of a growing movement to decolonize ballet and reimagine its future. Her work at Ballet 5:8 demonstrates that classical technique and cultural equity are not mutually exclusive—but rather, necessary partners in the evolution of the form.

She continues to forge space for unheard voices and untold stories, believing that ballet should be a mirror to the world as it is—and as it could be.

Personal Life

Julianna is deeply rooted in her Christian faith and sees dance as both an artistic discipline and a spiritual offering. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband and Ballet 5:8 Executive Director, Jeremy Slager, and their three children. Together, they lead the organization in pursuit of excellence, equity, and beauty-driven storytelling.