Press
The Nutcracker with a Ballet 5:8 Twist Returns to New Lenox this December
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.
The Nutcracker with a Ballet 5:8 Twist Makes Valparaiso Debut this December
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.
Ballet 5:8 "Compass" Chicago Encore Partners with World Relief to Inspire Compassion
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.
Ballet 5:8 Collaborates on Navigating Cultural Tensions with Compassion
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.
Ballet 5:8 Brings Groundbreaking Ballet-Film Adaption of American Classic to the Paramount Theatre
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.
Classic tale sparks new conversations
ANDERSON — A hybrid adaption of one of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s famous novels is being performed live Saturday at the Paramount Theatre
Ballet 5:8 Returns to Las Cruces
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.
Ballet 5:8 Returns to Las Cruces with Groundbreaking Ballet-Film Adaption of American Classic
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.
Groundbreaking Ballet-Film Adaption of American Classic at South Broadway Cultural Center
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.
Ballet 5:8 brings ballet-film hybrid 'Scarlet' to Las Cruces
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.
Ballet 5:8’s Moving Rendition of “Scarlet.”
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.
Groundbreaking Ballet-Film Stage Adaption of American Classic at Hemmens in Elgin
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.