Bring literature to life through dance.
Two distinct educational viewing experiences, each built for easy online purchase and strong classroom value. Start with the show that fits your students, then extend the experience with educational resources and a live virtual artist Q&A.
Fast path to purchase
Visitors can identify the right show quickly and move straight to streaming without digging through extra pages.
Built for educators and families
Every section answers the same practical question: what will students get, and why is this worth bringing into a learning space?
Clear educational value
The page frames each ballet as a meaningful learning experience, not just a video rental.
Live add-on available
Schools, libraries, and groups can book a virtual artist Q&A to deepen discussion after viewing.
Two virtual field trips, two distinct learning experiences
The strongest sales flow is to let visitors compare the shows quickly, then guide them into the one that fits their students, curriculum, or audience best.
The House on Mango Street
A warm, visually rich dance adaptation inspired by Sandra Cisneros’ classic novel, inviting students into Esperanza’s world through movement, music, home, identity, family, and growing up between cultures.
View Mango StreetThe Curious Life of Edgar Allan Poe
A haunting, cinematic dance work that reconsiders Edgar Allan Poe through grief, imagination, metaphysics, and moral contradiction, opening space for deeper literary and historical conversation.
View PoeThe House on Mango Street
A warm, visually rich dance adaptation inspired by Sandra Cisneros’ classic novel. This virtual field trip invites students into Esperanza’s world through movement, music, and themes of home, identity, family, and growing up between cultures.
Strong fit for upper elementary, middle school, high school, homeschool groups, libraries, and family literacy programs.
Perfect for educators looking for an arts-integrated way to talk about belonging, voice, intergenerational relationships, and what it means to dream beyond the block you know.
What viewers get
- Simple online purchase and streaming access through Ballet 5:8’s online viewing platform
- Educational resources sent to every purchaser
- A performance-centered learning experience rooted in literature and storytelling
- Themes that connect naturally to identity, home, language, community, and coming of age
Why educators choose it
- Makes a beloved novel emotionally immediate through dance
- Creates an accessible entry point for students who connect through movement and image
- Invites conversation across generations about family, girlhood, memory, and aspiration
Educational connections
- English Language Arts and literature response
- Chicago, neighborhood, and cultural identity
- Family stories, inherited expectations, and self-definition
- Discussion and reflection around growing up between worlds
Included support
Educational resources will be sent to everyone who purchases the virtual field trip, making it easier to extend the experience after viewing.
Funding acknowledgment
This Project is sponsored in part by Healing Illinois and Illinois Humanities, National Endowment for the Arts Big Read and Arts Midwest.
The Curious Life of Edgar Allan Poe
A haunting, cinematic dance work that reconsiders Edgar Allan Poe through grief, imagination, metaphysics, and moral contradiction. This virtual field trip gives students a new way into Poe’s world while opening space for more complex historical conversation.
Best suited for high school, college, libraries, humanities classrooms, literature courses, and community conversation series.
Ideal for teachers and presenters who want more than a greatest-hits Poe lesson and are looking for a thoughtful, discussion-ready work grounded in scholarship and artistic inquiry.
Partnership
Created in partnership with the Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia, with curatorial guidance from Chris Semtner and additional scholarly contribution from Dr. Harry Lee Poe.
What viewers get
- Simple online purchase and streaming access through Ballet 5:8’s online viewing platform
- Educational resources sent to every purchaser
- A 3-part video lecture series developed with the Poe Museum
- Curriculum and lesson-plan connections across literature, history, performing arts, and philosophy
Why educators choose it
- Brings classic literature into conversation with grief, justice, spirituality, and historical memory
- Pairs performance with substantial educational support for deeper teaching
- Moves beyond mythologized Poe to explore the human being, the era that shaped him, and the truths often left out
Educational connections
- American literature and Gothic fiction
- Slavery, identity, and cultural memory in the antebellum United States
- Performance as literary interpretation
- Questions of grace, justice, mourning, and the afterlife
Included support
Educational resources will be sent to everyone who purchases the virtual field trip, so educators and presenters can move directly from viewing into deeper engagement.
Funding acknowledgment
This Project is sponsored in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities America 250 Chairman's Award.
Extend the experience with a live virtual artist Q&A
Give students and audiences a chance to ask questions, talk about the creative process, and connect literature to performance in real time.
Virtual Artist Q&A Booking
Available for schools, libraries, and community groups looking to deepen discussion after viewing either virtual field trip.
What educators and families will want to know
This section reduces friction for buyers who need a little more confidence before purchasing or sharing the page with a school leader, librarian, or parent group.
How do the virtual field trips work?
Each production is purchased through Ballet 5:8’s online viewing platform. Educational resources are sent to every purchaser to support follow-up learning and conversation.
Can we book a virtual artist Q&A?
Yes. Schools, libraries, and community groups can book a virtual artist Q&A to extend the experience beyond the stream.
Who are these experiences for?
They are designed for schools, libraries, homeschool communities, colleges, and families who want a flexible arts-integrated learning experience.
Questions before booking?
Questions about purchasing, group planning, or educational coordination can be directed to info@ballet58.org.