Community Engagement | 2026–2027 Season
Bring the Power of Dance to Your School or Community
Ballet 5:8 offers meaningful, accessible dance experiences for schools, churches, senior communities, youth organizations, colleges, homeschool groups, and community partners.
Dance belongs in every stage of life
At Ballet 5:8, we believe dance has the power to build confidence, foster empathy, inspire creativity, and bring people together across generations and backgrounds. Whether introducing young students to live performance for the first time, creating meaningful experiences for seniors, or engaging communities through storytelling and movement, our programs are designed to make dance accessible, human, and deeply impactful.
Dance is a primal part of civilization and has been central to the expression of joy, fear, loss, and hope throughout human history. In our increasingly digital world, dance presents us with a unique opportunity to be grounded in our own bodies, and to communicate through the power of gesture, rhythm, and physical empathy. This historical tradition of gathering to dance is deeply needed in our communities, perhaps more now than ever before.
- Julianna Rubio Slager
Engagement Opportunities
Flexible ways to experience Ballet 5:8
Choose the format that best fits your school, organization, audience, and goals.
School Performances
Daytime performances, lecture demonstrations, Q&A sessions, and educational experiences designed for students of all ages.
Community Performances
Customized programs for churches, libraries, senior communities, festivals, nonprofit organizations, and cultural partners.
Group Access
Discounted tickets to select public performances for schools, churches, youth programs, senior communities, and community groups.
Virtual Field Trips
Streaming performances, artist conversations, educational workshops, and behind-the-scenes experiences from any location.
For Schools
Educational programs that make dance approachable
Bring Ballet 5:8 directly to your students through engaging arts education experiences that encourage creativity, critical thinking, emotional connection, and artistic curiosity.
- Daytime performances
- Lecture demonstrations
- Post-show Q&A sessions
- Movement workshops
- Curriculum connections
- Storytelling through dance
Workshops & Residencies
Deeper engagement for your community
For organizations seeking a more immersive experience, Ballet 5:8 offers customized workshops and residencies tailored to your community’s needs.
- Creative movement
- Ballet and contemporary technique
- Composition and choreography
- Confidence and collaboration
- Faith and the arts
- Character development through movement
Featured 2026–2027 Programs
Performances and programs for classrooms, libraries, and community spaces
These touring and access options can be adapted for schools, student matinees, libraries, senior communities, and community partners.
Beyond the Nutcracker
Beyond the Nutcracker reimagines the beloved ballet through the lens of WWII-era Europe. Featuring international dances developed with cultural sensitivity, this powerful production brings depth and relevance to a timeless story. It is an ideal introduction to both classical ballet and 20th-century history.
Student matinees available December 2025.
The House on Mango Street
Adapted from Sandra Cisneros’ groundbreaking novel, this new work follows a young Latina navigating identity, culture, and community. Performed by Ballet 5:8’s all-female Second Company.
In-school performances available beginning January 2026. Logan Center school matinees May 2026. Transportation stipends available for qualifying schools.
Adaptado de la reconocida novela de Sandra Cisneros, esta nueva obra sigue la historia de una joven latina que navega cuestiones de identidad, cultura y comunidad. Interpretado por la Segunda Compañía de Ballet 5:8, integrada exclusivamente por mujeres. Hay estipendios de transporte disponibles para escuelas que cumplan con los requisitos.
Book NowShrewd: The Taming of the Shrew in Bronzeville
Shrewd is a one-act narrative ballet inspired by William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, reimagined in Jim Crow–era Bronzeville on Chicago’s South Side. Through dance-theater, jazz-inflected movement, and select spoken text, the work follows Kat, a sharp-witted Black woman deemed “unruly” by her community, as she resists being “tamed” into a quiet, compliant wife.
Educational activities connect directly to Shakespeare’s original text. Students compare short excerpts from The Taming of the Shrew with parallel scenes and characters in Shrewd, while exploring how shifting the setting to Jim Crow Chicago reveals ongoing questions of gender, race, and power.
Books and Ballerinas
Perfect for schools, libraries, and community events, this interactive program blends ballet and storytelling to delight young audiences and inspire movement and imagination.
Available as a field trip or in-school/library visit starting August 2025. Tailored by age and venue.
Book NowSecond Act Ballet for Seniors
Designed specifically for older adults, this gentle ballet-based class nurtures physical wellness, creativity, and connection. No dance experience required.
Add a live ballet performance for a memorable cultural event.
Book NowVirtual Field Trips
For groups unable to attend in person, virtual field trip options offer another way to experience Ballet 5:8 from any location. Programs may include streaming performances, artist conversations, educational workshops, and behind-the-scenes experiences.
Explore Virtual Field TripsWho We Serve
Programs for schools, groups, and communities of all kinds
Our community engagement options are designed to be welcoming, flexible, and responsive to the audiences we serve.
Group Ticket Pricing
Accessible pricing for schools and community groups
Special group pricing helps make high-quality arts experiences more accessible for students, families, and community members.
$10
per ticket for groups of fewer than 100 attendees
$5
per ticket for groups of 100 or more attendees
Why Attend
More than a performance
A Ballet 5:8 experience can introduce audiences to live professional dance, support arts-integrated learning, foster empathy and conversation, and create a shared cultural experience.
Custom Collaborations
Have a vision for your community?
Ballet 5:8 has a seasoned team of choreographers, artists, and teachers who can help bring your vision to life. Connect with us and share how dance could be part of your school, organization, or community, and we will help shape an experience that fits your goals.
Now Booking
Bring Ballet 5:8 to your school or community in 2026–2027
Start planning a performance, workshop, residency, group visit, or virtual experience for your students, organization, or community group.
Questions? Email kkowach@ballet58.org.