Press
2022/23 Season
See what people are saying about Ballet 5:8’s 11th Season.
"I love ballet, but I don't think ballet has done enough experimentation with narrative form, and for that reason, it gets this reputation of not being great with narrative."
Former Senior Studio Manager Abigail Gardner Interviewed on Univision Chicago for Holidays in the Loop and the new State Street Holiday Market.
This Friday a woman and minority led ballet company will combine Dio De Los Muertos and World Ballet Day for a performance in Burnsville. The Chicago based ballet studio, Ballet 5:8, is putting on a show called Dia De Los Vivos. Artistic Director, Julianna Rubio Slager, joins Minnesota Live to tell us more.
“Imagine Better“ was expertly executed, beautifully costumed, with magnificent music. Ballet 5:8 is truly poetry in motion - precise, pretty, and thought-provoking dance at its finest.
Gary talks to the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of an ambitious ballet company that’s hoping to reach new audiences. “I look forward to seeing how Ballet 5:8 will continue to grow and develop, and how the company will be able to support more artists who want to tell stories that relate to our communities.” - Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager
A ballet company southwest of the city is closing out Hispanic Heritage Month with dancers rooted in the celebration of Hispanic culture, while also bringing attention to mental health. Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager discusses Mi Familia and Día de Los Vivos with Arts Correspondent Angel Idowu.
Ballet 5:8 is not your average ballet company. For ten years, they have stretched us beyond reality into a place of possibility…This company draws us a little closer, placing an emphasis on additional areas, taking notice of nuance, environment, spirit and their purpose, which is to connect to a variety of communities, with women and diverse artists at the forefront of their creativity.
Ballet 5:8’s Imagine Better performance included in Crain’s Chicago Business’ The Big Ticket weekly arts and culture column. Ballet 5:8’s Imagine Better program include the hopeful, athletic “Look to the East“ and more.
Ballet 5:8 presenta historias bíblicas en danza, bajo la dirección artística de Julianna Rubio Slager.
Ballet 5:8 Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager chats with host Aleksandra Efimova abouut all things Ballet 5:8 and shares great leadership tips. “Creativity is 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration.“
Ballet 5:8 Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager shares this beautiful parable with the Ballet 5:8 community published by Ekstasis magazine.
The Ballet 5:8 Blog
Explore more on the blog
Discover how ballet and live music collaborations, silent disco events, and community outreach programs strengthen local communities and boost cultural engagement.
I am going to say the quiet thing out loud…the job market stinks! And that is true for the dance world too. Right now, professional dance positions are scarce, and upward mobility is stagnant.
7 Ways You Can Support a Peer-to-Peer Campaign — That Cost Absolutely Nothing
Not everyone can donate financially, and that’s okay. Your voice, enthusiasm, and network can be just as powerful. Here are meaningful, cost-free ways to make a major impact:
In a world transformed by artificial intelligence, the skills that set our children apart won’t be mechanical—they’ll be human. Creativity, resilience, empathy, and collaboration are the true keys to thriving in the future. Dance nurtures all of these, making it one of the most powerful ways to prepare kids for what’s ahead.
Ballet 5:8’s La Llorona reimagines the legendary folktale as a heartfelt story of love, loss, and hope. Directed by Julianna Rubio Slager, this family-friendly ballet uses tender storytelling and the perspective of children to invite audiences into meaningful conversations. Upcoming performances in Bloomington, Grayslake, and University Park.
Meet the women and choreographers behind Ballet 5:8’s BIOS Project—a powerful performance series where lived experience becomes movement, and storytelling becomes healing.
School of Ballet 5:8
What people are saying about the training branch of Ballet 5:8
Super surprised and happy.
That was the reaction from Alice Duncan, 16, of Plainfield, when she learned she would be playing the lead role in Ballet 5:8’s holiday production of “Beyond The Nutcracker.”
Just as “The Nutcracker” is a beloved holiday tradition around the world, “Beyond the Nutcracker” has been an annual favorite for Orland Park’s Ballet 5:8. But a unique year that has presented unique challenges is leading to a new spin on an old favorite.
Ballet 5:8 is just days into a run of its version of a Christmas classic that’s venturing into the online realm for the first time.
Ballet 5:8 presents Beyond the Nutcracker in-person and online this December, bringing the joy of the Christmas season to communities in the Chicago South Suburbs and around the world.
March 31, ORLAND PARK - “Shelter-in-place” has turned life upside down across the South Suburbs, but Ballet 5:8 is providing an incredible online program that gives students a bit of normal in the midst of the chaos. Nonprofit Ballet 5:8 School of the Arts provides dance education for over 400 students in the Chicago south suburbs and northwest Indiana, and the studio has become a second home to many of them. So when in-person classes were postponed due to COVID-19, the staff at Ballet 5:8 made an ambitious change -- they would transform their organization to meet the changing needs of their students.
ORLAND PARK, IL – Ballet 5:8 has moved its nationally-recognized professional performing company and dance education center from its seven-year home in Frankfort, IL, to a newly remodeled 12,000 square foot building in Orland Park, IL. The new location, just minutes from I-80 and LaGrange Road and a 35-minute drive from downtown Chicago, is a step up from the company’s previous home and includes five state of the art studios and a dedicated cross-training studio, plus added space and amenities for the company’s 13 professional dancers, expanding local student population, and administrative staff. The new and larger studios will allow Ballet 5:8 to continue to increase the size of its professional performing company - which was recently called the “suburbs’ best kept dance secret” by See Chicago Dance Editor Lauren Warnecke - over time. The new building will also foster continued growth for Ballet 5:8’s education programs for all ages which include hundreds of after-school classes, adult dance and fitness classes, monthly workshops for special needs dancers, and a range of intensives and conferences that attract students, choreographers and dance education leaders from across the country during the summer months. A ribbon cutting ceremony at Ballet 5:8’s new location, facilitated by the Orland Park Chamber of Commerce, will be held on Thursday, February 21 from 5-7pm and is open to the public.
FRANKFORT, IL – Ballet 5:8 School of the Arts, the dance education center of professional performing company Ballet 5:8, will bring its signature rendition of The Nutcracker to Lincoln Way West High School on December 15-16. Ballet 5:8, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Frankfort, is dedicated to engaging communities in Chicago, the Midwest and across the nation in conversation of life and faith through innovative storytelling and breathtaking dance. The company’s Beyond the Nutcracker features 150 local cast members from its nationally-recognized classical ballet training programs, all custom-designed costumes and sets, and lead roles danced by guest artists from the Ballet 5:8 professional company including Lead Artists Antonio Rosario and Brette Benedict, and Company Artist Sam Opsal. This Ballet 5:8 twist on the classic Nutcracker invites audiences to join Emma for a magical adventure that leads from World War II London to the very first Christmas. Performances are at 2pm & 7pm on Saturday, December 15, and at 3pm on Sunday, December 16 at Lincoln Way West High School Performing Arts Center. An additional performance this year will be held on Saturday, December 1 at 4pm at Valparaiso High School in Valparaiso, Indiana.
VALPARAISO, IN – This December, local students attending classes at Ballet 5:8 School of the Arts’ Valparaiso Satellite Campus will be performing in Ballet 5:8’s first-ever performance of Beyond the Nutcracker held in Indiana, at Valparaiso High School. The company’s signature twist on the classic Nutcracker ballet features local cast members from its dance education programs, all custom-designed costumes and sets, original choreography by Ballet 5:8 Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager, and lead roles danced by guest artists from the Ballet 5:8 professional company including Lead Artists Antonio Rosario and Brette Benedict, and Company Artist Sam Opsal. This Ballet 5:8 twist on the classic Nutcracker invites audiences to join Emma for a magical adventure that leads from World War II London to the very first Christmas. The single Valparaiso performance will be held on Saturday, December 1 at 4pm at Valparaiso High School. Additional performances will be held on December 15-16 at Lincoln Way West High School in New Lenox, IL.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the rhythm of our everyday lives. Ballet 5:8 is responding by launching a new online dance education platform, Ballet 5:8 NOW, that takes the company’s trusted dance education programs online and into the homes of aspiring dancers around the world.
Archive
Discover seasons past and past works
Ballet 5:8 is bringing 10FOLD to Grand Rapids, MI at 7PM on April 16.
Julianna Rubio Slager shares about Ballet 5:8’s 10th Anniversary Season and the final performances of 10FOLD in Orland Park on April 23-24.
Julianna Rubio Slager shares about Ballet 5:8’s 10th Anniversary Season with Karl and Crew Mornings on Moody Radio.
Ballet 5:8 celebrates it’s 10th Anniversary Season!
Chicago’s Ballet 5:8 is coming to San Antonio
Chicago’s Ballet 5:8 is coming to Houston
Ballet 5:8 Presents a Bold New Ballet on Human Trafficking at Irving Arts Center
Ballet 5:8’s tenth performance season is an exciting step back into normalcy as theaters across the country reopen and invite audiences to enjoy live art again. For the past ten years, Ballet 5:8 has created over 45 original works with a mission to engage communities in stories of life and faith through dance. For the fifth year in a row, an Illinois Arts Council Agency grant is helping the company continue their mission.
Over the past week I've had two opportunities to see Ballet 5:8 perform Reckless, Julianna Rubio Slager’s newest full length work for Ballet 5:8. Last Saturday, I was privy to an up-close preview of the work at Ballet 5:8 studios; this Saturday, I saw it in its fullest form at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago…
Walking toward the Studebaker Theater for Ballet 5:8’s premiere of Reckless, you couldn’t escape the gravity of this moment. The marquis of the Auditorium Theatre reads the sad statement of our times, #OneYearDark. One year of careers on pause, one year stepping back from performance art to focus on survival. But on this day, as the first signs of spring peer out through the dirt, you could also experience the first signs of the return of the arts.
As many theaters around the nation remain dark, Ballet 5:8 sheds light on a different kind of darkness: the reality of modern day slavery. Ballet 5:8 Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager’s newest full length ballet Reckless premieres at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago on Saturday, March 13.
“With a moving score featuring composers John Adams, Oliver Davis, and Ezio Bosso, lovely classical choreography, and superb performances by the cast, I expect Golden Sessions will offer a fresh and uplifting experience for Ballet 5:8 fans and newbies alike, regardless of their interest in Lewis or literature.” - Executive Director Emeritus Amy Sanderson
Ballet 5:8’s Fall Black Box Series marks a monumental return to the live stage after theaters around the world abruptly went dark last March. On the heels of a successful outdoor program held in local parks and Ballet 5:8’s own “backyard” in August and September, the October Fall Series will feature brand new works by Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager and returning works by Slager and guest choreographer Kevin Jenkins.
“And since the dancers of Ballet 5:8 also hadn’t seen a stage since March, it’s safe to say everyone in that park was feeling happiness. Maybe a little relief. Where there should have been fatigue, there was only joy.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the rhythm of our everyday lives. Ballet 5:8 is responding by launching a new online dance education platform, Ballet 5:8 NOW, that takes the company’s trusted dance education programs online and into the homes of aspiring dancers around the world.
Just like in the rest of the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has had countless impacts in the dance community as dance companies and schools have closed their physical spaces and gone virtual. Nonetheless, amid weeks and months of dancers taking classes in their kitchens and living rooms, there has been a silver lining: when you take class online, the possibilities for collaboration are limitless.
Beauty. Art. Expression. All are meant to reflect the goodness and the design of the Creator. And when approached with a heart desiring to reflect this goodness, we learn more about ourselves as creation.
This is what Olivia Kruse has learned through her experience as a professional ballet dancer with a Christian ballet company in Chicago. In this interview with Radiant, Kruse shares not only how she has learned to glorify God and relate to God through dance, but what dance — and specifically ballet — reveals about the design of the human person. In essence, she shares her understanding of the theology of the body of ballet.
Christians are more in the news today than ever before. Faith is a more present factor in our national and global life than ever before. But Christians, and people of faith in general, are often portrayed in one-dimensional, reductionist terms. The rich ways that Christians take part in our shared life, contribute to the public good, and keep alive the best values and traditions of our country are often obscured today.
Julianna Rubio Slager is co-founder and artistic director of professional dance company, Ballet 5:8 based out of Chicago. Her vision in establishing the company was to bring more dialogue of hope to the Chicago art scene. She serves as resident choreographer with a mission bring something significant to the audience that would otherwise remain veiled through thought provoking and breath taking dance. With their spring tours getting canceled, Ballet 5:8 is hosting online performances of their work. Click here to RSVP to their critically acclaimed performance of "Butterfly" about the Jewish artists who were held in the same concentration camp during WW2. It's available April 19-21st for viewing w/ tickets being on a pay what you can basis to help cover the wages of the dancers for their canceled season due to COVID-19. https://www.ballet58.org/butterfly
Ballet 5:8 returns to the Hoyt Sherman in Des Moines with a program of one-act works featuring Butterfly. Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager’s newest work recreates the gripping scenes of the WWII Terezin ghetto, where residents created masterful works of art in defiance of their oppressors. The performance will also feature work inspired by C.S. Lewis, and the world premiere of a work choreographed by Kevin Jenkins, winner of Editors Choice awards from Pointe Magazine and Dance Magazine.
March 31, ORLAND PARK - “Shelter-in-place” has turned life upside down across the South Suburbs, but Ballet 5:8 is providing an incredible online program that gives students a bit of normal in the midst of the chaos. Nonprofit Ballet 5:8 School of the Arts provides dance education for over 400 students in the Chicago south suburbs and northwest Indiana, and the studio has become a second home to many of them. So when in-person classes were postponed due to COVID-19, the staff at Ballet 5:8 made an ambitious change -- they would transform their organization to meet the changing needs of their students.
Chicago’s Ballet 5:8 visits Kalamazoo for the first time with a program of one-act works featuring Butterfly. Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager’s newest work recreates the gripping scenes of the WWII Terezin ghetto, where residents created masterful works of art in defiance of their oppressors. The performance will also feature work inspired by C.S. Lewis, and the world premiere of a work choreographed by Kevin Jenkins, winner of Editors Choice awards from Pointe Magazine and Dance Magazine.
Ballet 5:8, a professional performance company based out of Chicago, will grace the stage of Kennesaw State University’s Dance Theater with its renowned Christian storytelling on Saturday, March 14. In their second time ever touring to Atlanta, they will present The Space in Between, a dynamic one-act ballet choreographed by Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager. The ballet, inspired by C.S. Lewis’ novel The Great Divorce, deals with real-life, weighty questions of eternity and encourages viewers to look ahead into what will happen after this life. The program will also feature two other works: Of Splendors and Horrors and Meditations.
On the surface, Ballet 5:8 looks like just another dance company. But the creative impulse of artistic director and chief choreographer Julianna Rubio Slager is driven by her Christian faith and a desire to share the gospel through ballet.
For many of us, history was an integral part of our academic experience. As children, we read our history books and learned of the formative years of our nation, of wars that forever changed the socio-political climate worldwide, and of the trials of the oppressed as they fought for freedom. But the past is doomed to repeat itself unless we take that knowledge, combine it with deep reflection and introspection, and turn that potent mixture into action. While that action can take place in courtrooms and protests, it can also find its home on a proscenium stage. Art, and more specifically, the art of dance, has at its heart the the power to keep the past alive and give voice to its stories. Through thorough research, reflection and creative development, choreographers can shed new light on some of history’s darkest days. But that ability is an art in and of itself, and few are as well equipped to shine that light as Ballet 5:8 Artistic Director, Julianna Slager.
Ballet 5:8 returns to Dayton with a program of one-act works featuring Butterfly. Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager’s newest work recreates the gripping scenes of the WWII Terezin ghetto, where residents created masterful works of art in defiance of their oppressors. The performance will also feature Slager’s Meditations, inspired by C.S. Lewis’ essay Meditations in a Toolshed, and Slager’s playful Brothers & Sisters exploring the beauty and contrast of men and women.
Ballet 5:8 returns to Dayton with a program of one-act works featuring Butterfly. Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager’s newest work recreates the gripping scenes of the WWII Terezin ghetto, where residents created masterful works of art in defiance of their oppressors. The performance will also feature Slager’s Meditations, inspired by C.S. Lewis’ essay Meditations in a Toolshed, and Slager’s playful Brothers & Sisters exploring the beauty and contrast of men and women.
Ballet 5:8 celebrates its new facility in Orland Park and the many community members who made it possible with a weekend of intimate black box in-studio performances and the Chicagoland premiere of Butterfly. Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager’s newest work recreates the gripping scenes of the WWII Terezin ghetto, where residents created masterful works of art in defiance of their oppressors. The performances will also feature Slager’s playful Brothers & Sisters exploring the beauty and contrast of men and women.
Ballet 5:8 returns to the Devos Center for Arts and Worship for the world premiere of Butterfly. Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager’s newest work recreates the gripping scenes of the WWII Terezin ghetto, where residents created masterful works of art in defiance of their oppressors. The performance will also feature Slager’s Meditations, inspired by C.S. Lewis’ essay Meditations in a Toolshed, and Slager’s playful Brothers & Sisters exploring the beauty and contrast of men and women.
Jordan Raynor sits down with Julianna Slager, Co-founder of Ballet 5:8, to talk about how her team uses ballet to engage people in conversations about faith, the remarkable parallels between her own story and the story of Beth Pearson, the fictional character from the hit show, This is Us on NBC, and why she’s all in on this concept of being a “master of one.” You can follow Julianna's work on Instagram at @JuliannaSlager.
ORLAND PARK, IL - Ballet Five Eight NFP (Ballet 5:8), a nonprofit arts organization has been awarded a third grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency (IACA): $10,900 for general operating support. The grant will be partially supporting Ballet 5:8 operations between September, 2019 and August, 2020. Ballet 5:8 is committed to investing in Illinois communities, artists and residents through innovative storytelling and breathtaking dance, as well as high-quality, accessible dance education. Ballet 5:8 is looking forward to continuing its work in Illinois in part through this support.
On THIS - special Episode Of ACTIVE CULTURE - We go Backstage and Behind-The-Scenes of The The Latest Production from Chicago Area Based - BALLET 5:8 !! We Engage In the Lively Art Of Conversation with The Company's Artistic Director and Founder Juliana Rubio Slager and get The "Low - Down' on BALLET 5:8 - And - Their Latest Extravaganza - Entitled; "BUTTERFLY"!! The Show Will be Here in Milwaukee for ONE SHOW ONLY - on Saturday, February 22 @ PIUS XI Catholic High School - 135 N. 76th Street!! We Present an excerpt from THAT Show and Other Clips From Past Performances - including "BUTTERFLY'.
CHICAGO – Ballet 5:8 will visit Madison, WI, for the first time in April with Compass Project, a collection of one-act ballets on navigating cultural tension with compassion. The performance, which stretches across time and space to explore some of the most pressing topics of our day, will feature both Ballet 5:8 and local Madison ballet company Magnum Opus. Ballet 5:8, a 12-member professional company based just outside Chicago, is dedicated to engaging communities in conversation of life and faith through innovative storytelling and breathtaking dance. Now in its second season, Magnum Opus is Wisconsin’s newest professional ballet company. Two collaborative performances will be held on Saturday, April 27 at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm at the Verona Area Community Theatre, 103 Lincoln Street, Verona, WI, 53593.
CHICAGO – Ballet 5:8 is set to debut in Des Moines this April with The Space in Between. Known in part for its innovative adaptations of classic literature in the form of classical and contemporary ballet, Ballet 5:8 has been recently called “spectacular and mature” by Jeffrey Pierce of the Elgin Review, and “these are serious, talented dancers” by Lauren Warneke of See Chicago Dance. Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager’s newest work to go on tour draws inspiration from The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis, exploring the nature of eternity and the joy found on its shores. Also featured in the program is Ballet 5:8 audience favorite Four Seasons of the Soul, set to a re-orchestration of Vivaldi’s timeless The Four Seasons. The single Des Moines performance will be held on Saturday, April 13 at 7:00pm at the Hoyt Sherman Place, 1501 Woodland Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50309. Attendees are additionally invited to attend a post-performance Q&A. Tickets are $35 for adults, $25 for students and seniors, and $15 for children.
CHICAGO – After debuting in Anderson in 2018, Ballet 5:8 returns to Anderson’s Paramount Theatre with The Space in Between. Known in part for its innovative adaptations of classic literature in the form of classical and contemporary ballet, Ballet 5:8 has been recently called “spectacular and mature” by Jeffrey Pierce of the Elgin Review, and “these are serious, talented dancers” by Lauren Warneke of See Chicago Dance. Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager’s newest work to go on tour draws inspiration from The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis, exploring the nature of eternity and the joy found on its shores. Also featured in the program is Ballet 5:8 audience favorite Four Seasons of the Soul, set to a re-orchestration of Vivaldi’s timeless The Four Seasons. The single Anderson performance will be held on Saturday, April 6 at 7:00pm at the Paramount Theatre, 1124 Meridian Street, Anderson, IN, 46016. Attendees are additionally invited to attend a post-performance Q&A. Tickets are $30 for adults, $22 for students and seniors, and $15 for children.
CHICAGO – Ballet 5:8 will visit the Atlanta area for the first time in March with Compass Project, a collection of one-act ballets on navigating cultural tension with compassion. The performance, which stretches across time and space to explore some of the most pressing topics of our day, will feature both Ballet 5:8 and local Atlanta dance collective Bluebird Uncaged. Ballet 5:8, a 12-member professional company based just outside Chicago, is dedicated to engaging communities in conversation of life and faith through innovative storytelling and breathtaking dance. Bluebird Uncaged, a dance collective, is dedicated to bringing hope and dignity through dance via artist development, workshops, live performances, international adventures, and multimedia. A single collaborative performance will be held on Saturday, March 30 at 7:00 pm at the Sara D. Williams Fine Arts Center inside Greater Atlanta Christian School, 1575 Indian Trail Road, Norcross, GA 30093.
CHICAGO – Known for its commitment to bringing innovative storytelling and breathtaking dance throughout the Midwest, Chicago’s Ballet 5:8 will visit the Memphis area for the first time in March with Compass, a collection of one-act ballets on navigating cultural tension with compassion. In Chicago, Ballet 5:8’s work has been called “exceptionally well done” and “these are serious, talented dancers.” The 12-member company’s Compass program stretches across time and space to explore some of the most pressing topics of our day. At times witty and satirical, and at times deeply emotional, Compass is full of athleticism, power, and poetry. A single Memphis performance will be held on Saturday, March 23 at 7:00 pm at the Halloran Centre for Performing Arts, 225 South Main Street, Memphis, Tennessee.
CHICAGO – Known for its commitment to bringing innovative storytelling and breathtaking dance throughout the Midwest, Chicago’s Ballet 5:8 will visit the Champaign/Urbana area for the first time in March with Compass, a collection of one-act ballets on navigating cultural tension with compassion. In Chicago, Ballet 5:8’s work has been called “exceptionally well done” and “these are serious, talented dancers.” The 12-member company’s Compass program stretches across time and space to explore some of the most pressing topics of our day. At times witty and satirical, and at times deeply emotional, Compass is full of athleticism, power, and poetry. A single performance will be held on Saturday, March 2 at 7:00 pm at the Urbana High School, 1002 S Race St, Urbana, IL 61801.
CHICAGO – Now in its 7th performance season, Ballet 5:8 returns to the Hemmens Cultural Center with The Space in Between. What if heaven is nearer than we think? What if we carry inside of us the darkness of hell? Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager’s newest work draws inspiration from The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis, using Ballet 5:8’s signature blend of innovative storytelling and breathtaking dance to explore the nature of eternity and the joy found on its shores. The single Elgin performance will be held on Saturday, February 16 at 7:00pm at the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin, IL 60120. Attendees are additionally invited to attend a post-performance Q&A. Tickets are $30 for adults, $22 for students and seniors, and $15 for children.
ORLAND PARK, IL – Ballet 5:8 has moved its nationally-recognized professional performing company and dance education center from its seven-year home in Frankfort, IL, to a newly remodeled 12,000 square foot building in Orland Park, IL. The new location, just minutes from I-80 and LaGrange Road and a 35-minute drive from downtown Chicago, is a step up from the company’s previous home and includes five state of the art studios and a dedicated cross-training studio, plus added space and amenities for the company’s 13 professional dancers, expanding local student population, and administrative staff. The new and larger studios will allow Ballet 5:8 to continue to increase the size of its professional performing company - which was recently called the “suburbs’ best kept dance secret” by See Chicago Dance Editor Lauren Warnecke - over time. The new building will also foster continued growth for Ballet 5:8’s education programs for all ages which include hundreds of after-school classes, adult dance and fitness classes, monthly workshops for special needs dancers, and a range of intensives and conferences that attract students, choreographers and dance education leaders from across the country during the summer months. A ribbon cutting ceremony at Ballet 5:8’s new location, facilitated by the Orland Park Chamber of Commerce, will be held on Thursday, February 21 from 5-7pm and is open to the public.
CHICAGO – Now in its 7th performance season, Ballet 5:8 returns to Fort Wayne this November with The Space in Between. What if heaven is nearer than we think? What if we carry inside of us the darkness of hell? Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager’s newest work draws inspiration from The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis, using Ballet 5:8’s signature blend of innovative storytelling and breathtaking dance to explore the nature of eternity and the joy found on its shores. A single Fort Wayne performance will be held on Saturday, November 3 at 7:00pm at First Presbyterian Theater, 300 W. Wayne St. Attendees are invited to attend a post-performance Q&A. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for students and seniors, and $12 for children.
Every so often, Ballet 5:8 ventures into Chicago, sharing what might be the suburbs’ best kept dance secret. But it won’t be long until Ballet 5:8 is a secret to no one. The seven-year-old, faith-based professional ballet company is a decidedly robust operation serving dance fans and students across the south suburbs of Frankfort, Palos Heights and Beverly, and in Valparaiso, IN.
Oct 27, 2018 | By Lauren Warnecke
Every so often, Ballet 5:8 ventures into Chicago, sharing what might be the suburbs’ best kept dance secret. But it won’t be long until Ballet 5:8 is a secret to no one. The seven-year-old, faith-based professional ballet company is a decidedly robust operation serving dance fans and students across the south suburbs of Frankfort, Palos Heights and Beverly, and in Valparaiso, IN.
CHICAGO – Now in its 7th performance season, Ballet 5:8 returns to The Athenaeum Theatre with The Space in Between. What if heaven is nearer than we think? What if we carry inside of us the darkness of hell? Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager’s newest work draws inspiration from The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis, using Ballet 5:8’s signature blend of innovative storytelling and breathtaking dance to explore the nature of eternity and the joy found on its shores. The Chicago performances will be held on Saturday, October 20 at 7:30pm and Sunday, October 21 at 2:30pm at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N Southport Ave. Attendees are additionally invited to attend a post-performance Q&A. Tickets are $30 for adults, $22 for students and seniors, and $15 for children.
The faith-based company Ballet 5:8 returns to Chicago's Athanaeum Theatre October 20-21 with a program featuring two works by artistic director Julianna Rubio Slager. The Space In Between, Slager's newest work, is inspired by C.S. Lewis' The Great Divorce and explores the author's concept of hell. Also on the program is Slager's Four Seasons of the Soul, which connects nature's seasons to Slager's spiritual and religious life.
The faith-based company Ballet 5:8 returns to Chicago's Athanaeum Theatre October 20-21 with a program featuring two works by artistic director Julianna Rubio Slager. The Space In Between, Slager's newest work, is inspired by C.S. Lewis' The Great Divorce and explores the author's concept of hell. Also on the program is Slager's Four Seasons of the Soul, which connects nature's seasons to Slager's spiritual and religious life.
CHICAGO – Now in its 7th performance season, Ballet 5:8 debuts in Western Ohio this October with The Space in Between. What if heaven is nearer than we think? What if we carry inside of us the darkness of hell? Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager’s newest work draws inspiration from The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis, using Ballet 5:8’s signature blend of innovative storytelling and breathtaking dance to explore the nature of eternity and the joy found on its shores. A single Dayton performance will be held on Saturday, October 13 at 7:00pm at the Northridge High School Auditorium, 2251 Timber Ln. Attendees are invited to attend a post-performance Q&A. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for students and seniors, and $12 for children.
The return of the Chicago-based Ballet 5:8 to Grand Rapids Christian High School’s DeVos Center for the Arts and Worship not only reinforced the modern ballet troupe’s technical prowess but also artistic director/choreographer Julianna Rubio Slager and dancer/costumer designer Lorianne Barclay’s bold ability to create emotional stage production’s that also carry moral and religious meaning.
60-second Review
Ballet 5:8 premiere of “The Space in Between”, with “Four Seasons of the Soul”, Oct. 6, at Richard and Helen Devos Center for Arts & Worship, Grand Rapids, Mi.
The return of the Chicago-based Ballet 5:8 to Grand Rapids Christian High School’s DeVos Center for the Arts and Worship not only reinforced the modern ballet troupe’s technical prowess but also artistic director/choreographer Julianna Rubio Slager and dancer/costumer designer Lorianne Barclay’s bold ability to create emotional stage production’s that also carry moral and religious meaning.
CHICAGO – Now in its 7th performance season, Ballet 5:8 returns to Grand Rapids this October with The Space in Between, after a debut performance of Compass: Navigating Cultural Tension with Compassion in 2017. What if heaven is nearer than we think? What if we carry inside of us the darkness of hell? Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager’s newest work draws inspiration from The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis, using Ballet 5:8’s signature blend of innovative storytelling and breathtaking dance to explore the nature of eternity and the joy found on its shores. A single Grand Rapids performance will be held on Saturday, October 6 at 7:00pm at the Devos Center for Arts and Worship, 2300 Plymouth Avenue Southeast. Attendees are additionally invited to attend a post-performance Q&A. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for students and seniors, and $12 for children
Creating a masterpiece can take a lifetime. There is a certain process in crafting each detail that cannot be rushed, but in a world of limited time and tight funding, modern day artists have been forced to find creative ways to make the best of their resources. This is especially true in the world of dance, where choreographers are tasked not only with making movement to communicate their stories and ideas, but must also make considerations for the perfect musical score, costuming, and lighting and stage design. So how do dance makers begin to approach the task of bringing all of these elements to life on stage? Consider the masterpieces that Artistic Director Julianna Slager has created for her company, Ballet 5:8. Since the company’s founding in 2012, Julianna has worked to nurture her creative process to produce a number of works that had the dancers touring nationally just two years later. This is no small achievement for any body of performing artists – many spend five years or more in their home cities before the possibility of presenting work across the country is even on the table. It speaks volumes to the quality, originality, and artistic and technical prowess both choreographer and dancers bring into the theater.
Creating a masterpiece can take a lifetime. There is a certain process in crafting each detail that cannot be rushed, but in a world of limited time and tight funding, modern day artists have been forced to find creative ways to make the best of their resources. This is especially true in the world of dance, where choreographers are tasked not only with making movement to communicate their stories and ideas, but must also make considerations for the perfect musical score, costuming, and lighting and stage design. So how do dance makers begin to approach the task of bringing all of these elements to life on stage? Consider the masterpieces that Artistic Director Julianna Slager has created for her company, Ballet 5:8. Since the company’s founding in 2012, Julianna has worked to nurture her creative process to produce a number of works that had the dancers touring nationally just two years later. This is no small achievement for any body of performing artists – many spend five years or more in their home cities before the possibility of presenting work across the country is even on the table. It speaks volumes to the quality, originality, and artistic and technical prowess both choreographer and dancers bring into the theater.
Ballet 5:8, a Frankfort-based nonprofit arts organization, has been awarded a second grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency in the amount of $12,900 for general operating support. The grant will be partially supporting operations between September 2018 and August 2019. Ballet 5:8 is committed to investing in Illinois communities, artists and residents through high-quality, accessible dance education and performance and is thrilled to have this operating support for the 2018/19 season.
Ballet Five Eight NFP (Ballet 5:8), a Frankfort-based nonprofit arts organization, has been awarded a second grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency in the amount of $12,900, for general operating support.
The grant will be partially supporting operations between September 2018 and August, 2019. Ballet 5:8 is committed to investing in Illinois communities, artists and residents through high-quality, accessible dance education and performance and is thrilled to have this operating support for the 2018/19 season.
FRANKFORT, IL - Ballet Five Eight NFP (Ballet 5:8), a Frankfort, Illinois based nonprofit arts organization, has been awarded a second grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency in the amount of $12,900, for general operating support. The grant will be partially supporting operations between September, 2018 and August, 2019. Ballet 5:8 is committed to investing in Illinois communities, artists and residents through high-quality, accessible dance education and performance and is thrilled to have this operating support for the 2018/19 season.
ANDERSON — A hybrid adaption of one of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s famous novels is being performed live Saturday at the Paramount Theatre.
Returning to Las Cruces for the first time since 2015, Ballet 5:8 is bringing the visually stunning performance of “Scarlet” to New Mexico State University’s Atkinson Recital Hall, 1075 N. Horseshoe St., on Tuesday, March 6. With a combination of original choreography, music, film elements and spoken word, this is truly a one-of-a-kind experience.
The powerful portrayal of a classic American story inhabited the stage at the Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin as Ballet 5:8 revisited Scarlet, a fully developed two-act ballet choreographed by Artistic Director Juliana Rubio Slager.
A book from high school English inspired Julianna Rubio Slager to write a full-length ballet.
Slager is the artistic director at Ballet 5:8 in Frankfort. She created and choreographed "Scarlet," a ballet-film hybrid adapted from Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic novel, "The Scarlet Letter."
FRANKFORT, IL – Ballet 5:8 School of the Arts, the dance education center of professional performing company Ballet 5:8, will bring its signature rendition of The Nutcracker to Lincoln Way West High School on December 15-16. Ballet 5:8, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Frankfort, is dedicated to engaging communities in Chicago, the Midwest and across the nation in conversation of life and faith through innovative storytelling and breathtaking dance. The company’s Beyond the Nutcracker features 150 local cast members from its nationally-recognized classical ballet training programs, all custom-designed costumes and sets, and lead roles danced by guest artists from the Ballet 5:8 professional company including Lead Artists Antonio Rosario and Brette Benedict, and Company Artist Sam Opsal. This Ballet 5:8 twist on the classic Nutcracker invites audiences to join Emma for a magical adventure that leads from World War II London to the very first Christmas. Performances are at 2pm & 7pm on Saturday, December 15, and at 3pm on Sunday, December 16 at Lincoln Way West High School Performing Arts Center. An additional performance this year will be held on Saturday, December 1 at 4pm at Valparaiso High School in Valparaiso, Indiana.
VALPARAISO, IN – This December, local students attending classes at Ballet 5:8 School of the Arts’ Valparaiso Satellite Campus will be performing in Ballet 5:8’s first-ever performance of Beyond the Nutcracker held in Indiana, at Valparaiso High School. The company’s signature twist on the classic Nutcracker ballet features local cast members from its dance education programs, all custom-designed costumes and sets, original choreography by Ballet 5:8 Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager, and lead roles danced by guest artists from the Ballet 5:8 professional company including Lead Artists Antonio Rosario and Brette Benedict, and Company Artist Sam Opsal. This Ballet 5:8 twist on the classic Nutcracker invites audiences to join Emma for a magical adventure that leads from World War II London to the very first Christmas. The single Valparaiso performance will be held on Saturday, December 1 at 4pm at Valparaiso High School. Additional performances will be held on December 15-16 at Lincoln Way West High School in New Lenox, IL.
CHICAGO – Ballet 5:8 will close out its Sixth Performing Season this April with an encore performance based on the company’s popular 2017 premiere Compass. The April engagement, scheduled as part of Chicago Dance Month, features all four works from the original program on the topic of navigating cultural tension with compassion. The performance will be presented as Compass Project, with a portion of each ticket sold donated to World Relief. World Relief is a national nonprofit organization with offices in Chicago and Aurora, IL. The nonprofit stands with refugees and immigrants and partners with local churches to end the cycle of suffering, transform lives and build sustainable communities. Ballet 5:8’s single Chicago performance of Compass Project will be held on Saturday, April 28 at 7:00pm at Moody Bible Institute - Solheim Center, 930 N Wells St., Chicago, IL. Attendees are additionally invited to attend a post-performance Q&A with artists and choreographers from the performance.
CHICAGO – Ballet 5:8 will return to the Mark O’Donnell Theater at the Actors Fund Arts Center in Brooklyn this April with the New York premiere of its collaborative program Compass Project. The two performances feature a range of original dance performances by Ballet 5:8 and guest companies Vivid Ballet (Hartford, CT) and Emma Elliott Dance (New York, NY) on the topic of navigating cultural tension with compassion. Compass Project stretches across time and space to explore some of the most pressing topics in our country and in our cities today. At times witty and satirical, and at times deeply emotional, the program is full of athleticism, power and poetry. The two performances (which are not identical) will be held on Saturday, April 7 at 7:30pm and Sunday, April 8 at 2:00pm at the Mark O’Donnell Theater at the Actors Fund Arts Center, 160 Schermerhorn St, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Attendees are additionally invited to attend a post-performance Q&A with artists and choreographers from the performance. Tickets are $28 for adults, $24 for students and seniors, and $15 for children 12 and under.
CHICAGO – Ballet 5:8 will bring its film/dance hybrid production inspired by Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter to Anderson’s Paramount Theater this March. The company’s dramatic adaptation pairs original choreography by Ballet 5:8 Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager and a stunning score by American modernist composer Charles Ives with film elements directed by Preston Miller and Spoken Word created by Chicago artist Kylla Pate. Scarlet delves into the timeless struggles of hypocrisy, shame and ultimately, the hope of redemption. After the performance, audience members are invited to discuss their experience and ask questions during open panel discussion with Slager and artists of the company. The single Anderson performance will be held on Saturday, March 24, 2018 at 7:00pm. Tickets range from $25-$32 and are $15 for college students and children 12 and under.
ANDERSON — A hybrid adaption of one of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s famous novels is being performed live Saturday at the Paramount Theatre
CHICAGO – Ballet 5:8 brings its film/dance hybrid production inspired by Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter to Las Cruces after the company’s first visit in 2015. Ballet 5:8’s dramatic adaptation of the famous novel pairs original choreography by Ballet 5:8 Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager and a stunning score by American modernist composer Charles Ives with film elements directed by Preston Miller, and Spoken Word created by Chicago artist Kylla Pate. Scarlet delves into the timeless struggles of hypocrisy, shame and ultimately, the hope of redemption. After the performance, audience members are invited to discuss their experience and ask questions during open panel discussion with Slager and artists of the company. The single Las Cruces performance, made possible in part by Wanda Bowman and Ashley Homestore, will be held on Tuesday, March 6 at 7:00pm at NMSU Atkinson Recital Hall.
CHICAGO – Ballet 5:8 brings its film/dance hybrid production inspired by Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter to Las Cruces after the company’s first visit in 2015. Ballet 5:8’s dramatic adaptation of the famous novel pairs original choreography by Ballet 5:8 Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager and a stunning score by American modernist composer Charles Ives with film elements directed by Preston Miller, and Spoken Word created by Chicago artist Kylla Pate. Scarlet delves into the timeless struggles of hypocrisy, shame and ultimately, the hope of redemption. After the performance, audience members are invited to discuss their experience and ask questions during open panel discussion with Slager and artists of the company. The single Las Cruces performance, made possible in part by Wanda Bowman and Ashley Homestore, will be held on Tuesday, March 6 at 7:00pm at NMSU Atkinson Recital Hall. Tickets are $25 adults, $20 students/seniors, and $15 for children 12 and under.
CHICAGO – Ballet 5:8 will make a debut visit to Albuquerque in March, bringing its film/dance hybrid production inspired by Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter to the South Broadway Cultural Center. The company’s dramatic adaptation pairs original choreography by Ballet 5:8 Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager and a stunning score by American modernist composer Charles Ives with Spoken Word created by Chicago artist Kylla Pate, and film elements directed by Preston Miller. Scarlet delves into the timeless struggles of hypocrisy, shame and ultimately, the hope of redemption. After the performance, audience members are invited to discuss their experience and ask questions during open panel discussion with Slager and artists of the company. The single Albuquerque performance will be held on Saturday, March 3, 2018 at 7:00pm at the South Broadway Cultural Center.
Returning to Las Cruces for the first time since 2015, Ballet 5:8 is bringing the visually stunning performance of “Scarlet” to New Mexico State University’s Atkinson Recital Hall, 1075 N. Horseshoe St., on Tuesday, March 6. With a combination of original choreography, music, film elements and spoken word, this is truly a one-of-a-kind experience.
The powerful portrayal of a classic American story inhabited the stage at the Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin as Ballet 5:8 revisited Scarlet, a fully developed two-act ballet choreographed by Artistic Director Juliana Rubio Slager.
CHICAGO – Celebrating its sixth performance season, Ballet 5:8 brings its popular film/dance hybrid production inspired by Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter back to the stage at the Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin after the successful Chicago premiere at the Athenaeum Theatre. The company’s dramatic production pairs original choreography by Ballet 5:8 Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager and a stunning score by American modernist composer Charles Ives with Spoken Word created by Chicago artist Kylla Pate, and film elements directed by Alvin Ailey choreographer and film producer Preston Miller. The classic story delves into the timeless struggles of hypocrisy, shame and ultimately, the hope of redemption. After each performance, audience members are invited to discuss their experience and ask questions during open panel discussion with Slager and artists of the company. The single Chicago-area performance will be held on Saturday, February 17, 2018 at 7:00pm at the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin, Illinois.
A book from high school English inspired Julianna Rubio Slager to write a full-length ballet.
Slager is the artistic director at Ballet 5:8 in Frankfort. She created and choreographed "Scarlet," a ballet-film hybrid adapted from Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic novel, "The Scarlet Letter."
CHICAGO – Ballet 5:8 brings its film/dance hybrid production inspired by Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter to Las Cruces after the company’s first visit in 2015. Ballet 5:8’s dramatic adaptation of the famous novel pairs original choreography by Ballet 5:8 Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager and a stunning score by American modernist composer Charles Ives with film elements directed by Preston Miller, and Spoken Word created by Chicago artist Kylla Pate. Scarlet delves into the timeless struggles of hypocrisy, shame and ultimately, the hope of redemption.
There are classic American novels that every high school student will leaf through in their academic careers. But if you are or were like most high school students, you read the book, scratched your head, and rallied through your assignments, often without fully grasping the gravity of the story at hand. Instead of relying on Wikipedia and Spark Notes to understand Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, consider seeing it on stage through Ballet 5:8’s full length, original ballet, Scarlet. Choreographer and Artistic Director of Ballet 5:8, Julianna Slager, has spent years meticulously researching and fine-tuning her choreography in preparation for Scarlet to return to the stage this February at the Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin, IL. DancerMusic’s Kristi Licera sat down with Julianna to learn more about her research, creative process, and the importance of taking time to edit an artistic work:
Ballet 5:8 has been located in the Chicago South Suburbs since its creation in 2012 and has a mission to engage communities in Chicago, the Midwest, and the nation in conversation of life and faith through innovative storytelling and breathtaking dance.
Ballet Five Eight NFP (Ballet 5:8), a nonprofit arts organization located in Frankfort, has been awarded a $8,800 grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency for general operating support. Ballet 5:8 has been located in the Chicago South Suburbs since its creation in 2012 and has a mission to engage communities in Chicago, the Midwest, and the nation in conversation of life and faith through innovative storytelling and breathtaking dance. The IACA grant will be partially supporting Ballet 5:8’s operations between Jan. 1, 2017 and Aug. 21, 2018.
If you had a chance to read our PRE-View for Ballet 5:8’s Compass (which you can read here), then you know that Artistic Director Julianna Slager and her company of incredibly expressive dancers have committed their season thus far to spreading compassion in every community they touch. This past Friday, Ballet 5:8 took the stage at the Athenaeum Theater in Chicago and delivered an evening of inspired choreography and thought-provoking performance. The program touched on a number of politically sensitive topics including race, abortion, and immigration, but when these charged topics are approached through Julianna’s choreographic lens of compassion, it is clear that the purpose of the program is not political at all. Its true purpose is to inspire empathy and kindness, and all artists involved in Compass deserve congratulations for successfully emoting and delivering this message with grace. DancerMusic’s Kristi Licera was in the audience for this one-night only performance, and invites you to join her as she RE-Views Ballet 5:8.
CHICAGO – Celebrating its sixth performance season, Ballet 5:8 will return to the Athenaeum Theatre this November with the Chicago premiere of Compass, presented by Dance Chicago. Ballet 5:8’s Compass features four one-act ballets inspired by the challenges of navigating cultural tension in the present day. From an alien society to 1970’s Chicago, Compass stretches across time and space to explore some of our country’s most pressing topics. At times witty and satirical, and at times deeply emotional, Compass is full of athleticism, power and poetry. A single performance will be held on Friday, November 10 at 7:30pm at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 North Southport Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. Tickets are $30 for adults, $20 for students and seniors, and $15 for children.
There’s an art to just being a dance company, but it’s a complex one. There’s a choreography to all of the moving parts, a movement to all of the emerging challenges and a design to how they’re met. At Ballet 5:8, you can see this art a lot of ways, and one of them is the way the Company presents to the world what it is they have to share. This is usually called “marketing” or “promotion”, but when done well, it’s a real art, not that different from arts like choreography and music composition, where an artist shares a vision, or a feeling, or a perspective, or a hope. At a dance company, marketing at its best is the art of sharing what the company’s artists have to share, both telling people about a program like Compass (Ballet 5:8’s evening length work at Chicago’s Athenaeum Theatre on November 10th), and making it possible, through all the arts of content creation, for people like us at DancerMusic do so as well.
There’s an art to just being a dance company, but it’s a complex one. There’s a choreography to all of the moving parts, a movement to all of the emerging challenges and a design to how they’re met. At Ballet 5:8, you can see this art a lot of ways, and one of them is the way the Company presents to the world what it is they have to share. This is usually called “marketing” or “promotion”, but when done well, it’s a real art, not that different from arts like choreography and music composition, where an artist shares a vision, or a feeling, or a perspective, or a hope. At a dance company, marketing at its best is the art of sharing what the company’s artists have to share, both telling people about a program like Compass (Ballet 5:8’s evening length work at Chicago’s Athenaeum Theatre on November 10th), and making it possible, through all the arts of content creation, for people like us at DancerMusic do so as well.
Ballet 5:8 is an imaginative, hard-working group of artists with some very carefully thought out ideas. Founded by Julianna Rubio Slager and Amy Kozol Sanderson in 2012, they have steadily built Ballet 5:8 into an aesthetically ambitious gathering of dedicated dance artists. From just six dancers their first year, “performing wherever there was an opportunity” as their site tells the story, their season — still growing — now includes forty performances a year.
Ballet 5:8 is an imaginative, hard-working group of artists with some very carefully thought out ideas. Founded by Julianna Rubio Slager and Amy Kozol Sanderson in 2012, they have steadily built Ballet 5:8 into an aesthetically ambitious gathering of dedicated dance artists. From just six dancers their first year, “performing wherever there was an opportunity” as their site tells the story, their season — still growing — now includes forty performances a year.
This weekend’s visit of the Chicago-based Ballet 5:8 dance company, and its original modern ballet/dance program “Compass”, choreographed by Julianna Rubio Slager, offered a welcome addition to what is a quality if not-so-plentiful spectrum of modern dance opportunities in the Grand Rapids area.
60-second Review
This weekend’s visit of the Chicago-based Ballet 5:8 dance company, and its original modern ballet/dance program “Compass”, choreographed by Julianna Rubio Slager, offered a welcome addition to what is a quality if not-so-plentiful spectrum of modern dance opportunities in the Grand Rapids area.
CHICAGO – Celebrating its sixth performance season, Ballet 5:8 will make a debut in Grand Rapids this October after performing in Jackson for the past four seasons. Ballet 5:8’s Compass features four one-act ballets inspired by the challenges of navigating cultural tension in the present day. From an alien society to 1970’s Chicago, Compass stretches across time and space to explore some of our country’s most pressing topics. At times witty and satirical, and at times deeply emotional, Compass is full of athleticism, power and poetry. A single performance will be held on Saturday, October 28 at 7:00pm at the Devos Center for Arts and Worship, 2300 Plymouth Avenue Southeast, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for students and seniors, and $15 for children.
CHICAGO – This October, Ballet 5:8 returns to the Quad Cities, hometown of Ballet 5:8 Co-founder & Executive Director, Amy Kozol Sanderson, for the third time since the company’s founding in 2012. Ballet 5:8’s Compass features four one-act ballets inspired by the challenges of navigating cultural tension in the present day. From an alien society to 1970’s Chicago, Compass stretches across time and space to explore some of our country’s most pressing topics. At times witty and satirical, and at times deeply emotional, Compass is full of athleticism, power and poetry. A single performance will be held on Saturday, October 7 at 7:00pm at the Scottish Rite Cathedral, 1800 7th Ave, Moline, Illinois. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for students and seniors, and $15 for children.
For Amy Kozol Sanderson, ballet is much more than a transcendent art form. It's a spiritual mission.
The 29-year-old Eldridge native is the executive director and co-founder of Ballet 5:8, which will perform in the Quad-Cities for the third time, on Saturday in Moline, after previous stops at Davenport Junior Theatre in 2014 and 2015.
Chicago's Ballet 5:8 performed in Denver last season for the first time, and will enchant audiences here again this month with The Stor(ies) of You and Me.
Showcasing five pieces choreographed by Ballet 5:8 Artistic Director Julianna Slager and former Houston Ballet dancer Caleb Mitchell, the performance will explore various perspectives on love. Of the twelve dancers in the company, two hail from Colorado and will perform in the piece on Saturday, March 25, at Cleo Parker Robinson Theatre.
Westword recently caught up with Slager to talk about her work and creative process.
CHICAGO – Ballet 5:8 is celebrating its Fifth Anniversary by exploring uncharted territory with a film/dance hybrid rendition of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. The full-length ballet follows the iconic Hester Prynne as she wrestles with her open guilt and grief in a judgmental society, while Reverend Dimmesdale suffers in silence with his secret sin and love. This classic story delves into the timeless struggles of hypocrisy, shame and ultimately, the hope of redemption. Performances will be held on Saturday, March 18 at 7:30pm and Sunday, March 19 at 2:00pm at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 Southport Avenue, Chicago. Tickets are $35 for adults, $28 for students and seniors, and $15 for children.
Chicago's Ballet 5:8 performed in Denver last season for the first time, and will enchant audiences here again this month with The Stor(ies) of You and Me.Showcasing five pieces choreographed by Ballet 5:8 Artistic Director Julianna Slager and former Houston Ballet dancer Caleb Mitchell, the performance will explore various perspectives on love. Of the twelve dancers in the company, two hail from Colorado and will perform in the piece on Saturday, March 25, at Cleo Parker Robinson Theatre.