Chicago Based Ballet Company Is On Inspiring Mission

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.The unusual name of the company (based just outside Chicago) was inspired by the Biblical verse Romans 5:8, which says: "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.""Romans 5:8 encapsulates the heart and passion of what we do," Ms. Sanderson said this week. "We run the company from a faith-based perspective, the passion of being in the public sphere. God shows his love for us, while we're still sinners...That joy really is what inspires our work as artists."Founded in 2012, Ballet 5:8's mission is "to engage communities in Chicago, the Midwest and across the nation in conversation of life and faith through innovative storytelling and breathtaking dance," according to the company. The troupe of 12 professional dancers performs over 40 times throughout Chicago and across the nation each year, in settings ranging from school gyms and professional theaters, in addition to teaching workshops and master classes.Ballet 5:8’s dance education center serves over 200 students per year through a wide range of dance classes and a nationally-recognized advanced classical ballet training program.