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.