Where the Company Meets the School: Why This Model Matters at Ballet 5:8
By Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager and School Principal Miranda Rubio Opsal
Julianna: A Thin Line—By Design
When people visit Ballet 5:8, they often notice how close the company and the school feel. That is not an accident. We’ve built a studio where the morning company class, the Conservatory barre, and the afternoon rehearsals live in the same corridor—sometimes the same room. The line between “professional” and “pre-professional” is intentionally thin.
Why? Because proximity teaches faster than theory.
Students watch the artists they admire take notes, apply corrections, and try again. They see what musicality looks like at 9:00 a.m. and what stamina looks like at 9:00 p.m. They witness how a role is shaped over weeks, not just the sparkle of opening night. The profession becomes human and attainable—but it also becomes specific: attention to detail, respect for the work, care for one another, and love of the story we’re telling.
“The line between company and school is intentionally thin. Proximity teaches faster than theory.” — Julianna
There’s a historical echo here. In the early days of SAB and NYCB, the classroom and the stage were part of the same ecosystem. Students learned the repertory language by living next to it. While our repertoire and mission are our own—rooted in faith, storytelling, and a Midwestern sense of welcome—the principle holds: when a school grows beside its company, training becomes honest and alive.
Miranda: Modeling the Daily Habits of Excellence
From a school perspective, the benefit is immediate. Our students don’t have to imagine what “professional habits” look like—they see them modeled by the same artists who hand them a correction at the barre and then step into rehearsal two doors down.
Technique has context. A clean fifth isn’t abstract; it’s how a dancer survives a fast coda or sustains a quiet adagio.
Corrections become a process. Students watch their teachers get coached, too. Everyone takes notes. Everyone iterates.
Standards are clear. Punctuality, kindness, and preparation aren’t “extra.” They’re the floor.
And because our company culture values whole-person wellness—mental health check-ins, strength and conditioning, injury-prevention strategies—students witness a sustainable approach to a demanding art form. The message is consistent: excellence is repeatable, not mysterious.
“When students learn from the very artists they’ll cheer for that weekend, something clicks. The path is human—and the bar rises.” — Miranda
Julianna: Storytelling That Begins at the Barre
Ballet 5:8 exists to spark conversation on life, faith, and human dignity. That means our dancers must be strong technicians and thoughtful storytellers. The school-company model lets those values pass hand-to-hand.
In class, we talk about why a phrase breathes a certain way and where the character’s intention sits in the body. In rehearsal, students see those ideas drive choices onstage. The feedback loop is tight. The result is dancers who can both hit a diagonal cleanly and carry a narrative with integrity.
When a student takes class from a company artist they’ll watch perform the same weekend, the arc becomes clear: the barre is not separate from the story. It’s the craft that makes the story honest.
Miranda: Real Stages, Real Stakes
Opportunity accelerates growth. Our Studio Company and performance calendar give advanced students real stage time—churches, theaters, community venues, mixed-repertory evenings, and full-length story ballets. They learn call times, spacing, live corrections, and the etiquette that keeps a production running. They also see how to recover with grace when something goes sideways—because live performance is live.
Parents often ask, “How will I know if my student is ready for the next step?” In a model like ours, readiness isn’t theoretical; it’s observable. Faculty can point to the exact habits, roles, and rehearsals that show a dancer’s trajectory.
Julianna: Mentorship That Sticks
The best mentorship is consistent and nearby. Our artists teach, coach, and rehearse in the same building—so relationships have time to deepen. A correction becomes a conversation, which becomes a plan. Students learn audition craft, musical literacy, and how to pace a season. They also learn how professionals navigate disappointment without losing joy.
And because our company includes diverse voices and backgrounds, students see many viable paths into the profession. Representation matters; so does daily access.
Miranda: A Culture of Respect
We talk a lot about “respecting the work.” Here, that looks like:
Prepared bodies. Warmed up, on time, ready to move.
Prepared minds. Knowing music counts, understanding notes, asking good questions.
Prepared hearts. Treating classmates, faculty, and crew with care.
Those are not add-ons. They’re part of the technique. Our integrated model lets students absorb that culture by osmosis and repetition.
How This Serves the Community
We’re rooted in Chicagoland’s Southland. The company-school ecosystem allows us to offer high-level performance to audiences who might not get downtown often, and to build a training pipeline that keeps talent local without lowering the bar. It’s good for families, good for the region, and good for the future of the field.
What This Means for You
For students: You’ll train where the work is happening. Expect clear standards, real mentorship, and meaningful stage experience.
For parents: You’ll see a coherent path—summer programs feeding Conservatory and Trainee, Trainee feeding the profession—with wellness and character formation alongside technique.
For patrons and friends: Your support fuels a model that raises the next generation while serving today’s audiences with courageous, beautiful work.
“Excellence is repeatable, not mysterious. Proximity makes it clear.” — Miranda
Step Into the Ecosystem
If you’re ready for training that lives next to the stage, we’d love to meet you.
Audition & Program Info: Conservatory, Trainee, and Summer Intensive
See the Company: Upcoming performances and community events
Support the Work: Join our membership or give to sustain scholarships and live performance
The door between school and company at Ballet 5:8 is always open—on purpose. Come stand in that doorway and see what’s possible.
