Welcome to Mango Street. It’s not a fancy place. It’s a neighborhood like many you’ve seen: noisy kids playing on cracked sidewalks, dreams whispered on front porches, and families that are just getting by. Aquí vive Esperanza—a young Latina girl growing up caught between two worlds, dos culturas, two languages.
Based on Sandra Cisneros’s beloved novel, Ballet 5:8’s House on Mango Street tells Esperanza’s story in dance. She’s trying to figure out quién es—who she is, who she wants to become, and how she’ll get there. She dreams of a house she can be proud of, lejos de aquí, far from Mango Street, where the roofs don’t leak and the sidewalks don’t crumble.
But the heart of this story is deeper: What does it mean to truly belong somewhere? ¿Dónde está mi hogar? Is home the place you come from, or the one you choose? Esperanza learns to answer these questions with strength, humor, and a little corazón, a little heart.
Choreographer Julianna Rubio Slager brings Esperanza’s journey to the stage in a vibrant, honest way. We see girlhood joys, neighborhood bonds, and tough realities through a mix of classical ballet, contemporary movement, and música that moves the soul.
As Esperanza herself says in Cisneros’s words:
“I knew then I had to have a house. A real house. One I could point to.
But this isn’t it. The house on Mango Street isn’t it.”
But through the power of her voice and her comunidad, Esperanza finds freedom—even in the smallest house on the humblest street.
This ballet is about all of us who dream beyond the places we start, but who never forget the roots that made us.
¡Bienvenidos a Mango Street!
Meet the Characters
Esperanza: Young, observant, full of dreams. She wants more from life than her small home on Mango Street.
Narrator (Shadow Esperanza): Esperanza’s inner voice, showing her hidden thoughts and feelings through movement.
Nenny: Esperanza’s little sister. Innocent, playful, and carefree.
Mama: Kind, supportive, but limited by circumstances beyond her control.
Papa: A quiet, steady presence, providing for his family, but distant emotionally.
Neighborhood Girls:
Lucy: Esperanza’s down-to-earth friend, practical and dependable.
Rachel: Lucy’s spirited younger sister, bold and playful.
Marin: Older, worldly, caught in dreams of escaping through romance.
Sally: Beautiful, troubled, seeking safety from a harsh home life.
Alicia: Smart, ambitious college student quietly resisting cultural pressures.
Cathy (Queen of Cats): Snobby neighbor whose friendship quickly fades.
Aunt Lupe: Bedridden aunt who inspires Esperanza to write, seeing potential others miss.
Alicia’s Father: Controlling, dismissive father who doesn't see Alicia's worth.
Sally’s Father: Shadowy, abusive presence in Sally’s life.
Neighborhood Boys:
Tito: Teasing boy who doesn’t understand boundaries.
Meme Ortiz: Chaotic and reckless, embodying youthful wildness.
Darius: Boy whose surprising insights hint at deeper layers.
Red Clown Boys: Threatening, faceless figures who symbolize danger.
Marin’s Fantasy Man: Idealized figure Marin waits for but never finds.
“Ballet, as with many of the ‘fine arts,’ is perceived as art for the aristocracy. The art form is commonly expensive, exclusive, and occasionally elitist, but Ballet 5:8 subverts these common values to provide accessible, high-quality dance training to students of all ages, levels of ability, and ethnic backgrounds. Their school commits to fostering a nurturing environment where instructors care for the students’ spirits and bodies. This is Ballet reimagined. This is a studio telling a different story.”
— ”Making Ballet Accessible”, podcast with Emanuel Padilla