Ballet 5:8 School of the Arts
Encouraging our students, inspiring our community to worship
What is the School of the Arts?
Ballet 5:8 School of the Arts is the dance education arm of Ballet 5:8. Girls, boys, women and men of any faith, race, and economic status, and any level of ability are invited to study ballet and other forms of dance in the School of the Arts. Whether students join the pre-professional ballet training program, children’s classes, or our Open Division for recreational dancers, our goal is the same:
To provide excellent dance training that is affordable, accessible, and that encourages and inspires our students.
Our Mission
The mission of Ballet 5:8, a Christian nonprofit organization, is to engage our students, our professional dancers, and our audiences in worship, and to inspire them toward the pursuit of Jesus. As you may imagine after reading this, we are unapologetically outspoken about our beliefs and our motivation for pursuing ballet–however, we do not require our students to share or accept our beliefs. All are welcome, regardless of religious affiliation or background.
Our History
The School of the Arts story begins in 2006, when Julie Kapenga first obeyed God’s calling to start teaching Christian dance classes. Over the years, the school grew from small beginnings in a church Sunday school room to a fully-functioning nonprofit dance school with over 100 students. In January of 2012, Julie made the difficult decision to complete her tenure as Artistic Director of the school in order to focus on other responsibilities God had been placing in her path. In the summer of 2012, Julie and the school’s board of directors announced the end of the school’s sponsorship by Turning Pointe School of Dance in Holland, Michigan, and a new season for the school as it joined Ballet 5:8 to become Ballet 5:8 School of the Arts. Julianna Slager, the Artistic Director of Ballet 5:8 and Ballet 5:8 School of the Arts, now oversees the school’s pursuit of dance training that is both excellent in form and encouraging and inspiring for the students.
