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.”
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.
Upcoming events
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![Rachel Hutsell in a blue costume performing an arabesque pose in front of a purple background with the words 'BLOs Project' and a silhouette of a woman's profile.]()
BIOS Project
A powerful showcase featuring new works by four female choreographers, Rachel Hutsell, Silvita Diaz Brown, Jamine Getz and Jenni Richards. Each piece will tell the biographical stories of underrepresented women in the Chicago area, bringing their lives and legacies to the stage through the language of dance.
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![Promotional poster for the ballet 'La Llorona', featuring a male and female ballet dancer in costume, with the woman pointing her finger and the man holding her. The background has a dark design with faint calaveras illustrations.]()
La Llorona
Experience the hauntingly beautiful story of Maria and her journey through post-partum depression. Join us in theaters across Illinois with three performances during Latiné Heritage Month.
"The most poignant portrayal of postpartum depression I’ve ever seen on stage.”— Postpartum Depression Illinois Alliance
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![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.
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![A woman with arms raised in a graceful dance pose against a golden, abstract background, with the text 'Beauty will save the world' in white and a stylized signature or logo at the top left.]()
Beauty Will Save the World
A mixed repertoire program inspired by Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold. Each work reveals how beauty—like golden seams—can transform our fractures into something more whole, more radiant, and deeply human.
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![A promotional poster for 'Beyond the Nutcracker' featuring two ballet dancers, a full moon, clouds, a hot air balloon, and a night sky with stars.]()
Beyond the Nutcracker 2025
This season, Beyond the Nutcracker will take on a new life, performed as a collaboration between our professional company and school. Featuring live music and a larger community cast, this production celebrates the joy of the holiday season while continuing to inspire audiences with its unique storytelling and cultural depth.
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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.
LIVE MUSIC FUND
Help us make inspiring art experiences available to everyone.
"In a city whose major ballet institutions have historically been dominated by white men, Struggle and Resilience dares to challenge the status quo. Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager emphasizes the importance of elevating the voices of Black and Latina women within the arts, stating, 'We are not here to be displayed once a year in a program. We’re a vital part of this city’s artistic ecosystem, and we’re here to stay.'"
— Felicia Apprey for the Times Weekly
News & Articles from Ballet 5:8
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