Ballet 5:8 Addresses Modern Day Slavery in World Premiere
Orland Park ‒ 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 to a limited in-person audience or via livestream. A four-part docuseries following the creation of Reckless will be published on YouTube and Facebook in the weeks leading up to the premiere. Public ticket sales for the 2pm and 7:30pm performances will open on Thursday, January 28; tickets are $100 and will be available for purchase at ballet58.org/reckless or by calling (312) 753-3210. Five percent of proceeds will be donated to nonprofit Refuge for Women Chicago, a national nonprofit with a Chicago location that provides aftercare resources for trafficked and exploited women.
Did you know that there are an estimated 40.3 million people in slavery today? Slavery may have been made illegal in the U.S. in 1875, but the insidious practice of enslaving people and forcing them to work in the sex trafficking industry persists. According to Human Rights First, modern slavery earns criminals global profits of roughly $150 billion a year, $99 billion of which comes from commercial sexual exploitation of both children and adults. Traffickers employ a powerful combination of deception, coercion and manipulation that keeps victims not only trapped, but often eerily unaware of their abuse. This extensive physical and emotional abuse results in only a 7-10 year lifespan for victims after being trafficked.
Reckless tells the ancient love story of Hosea and his wife Gomer, a prostitute who leaves him to return to her life as a sex worker. Slager sets the story in modern times, the post-classical ballet exposes many facets of the bondage of trafficked sex workers, including empathy for victims who find themselves pulled to return even after an initial escape. As Slager puts it, “The story of Gomer has been retold in countless lives, frequently ending in tragedy and sorrow. In Reckless, we see Hosea embody the reckless, beautiful love of God as he pursues the one he loves to the darkest street corner.” Since co-founding Ballet 5:8 in 2012, Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager has boldly designed the company’s art to tell meaningful stories and explore culturally relevant topics, harnessing the power of storytelling while pursuing both excellence and innovation in professional dance. Critics have called Slager’s acclaimed ballets “exceptionally well done”, “brilliant”, “spectacular and mature”, and “awe inspiring.”
*Following Illinois guidelines, in-person performances will be limited to 50 people and will include special cleaning procedures, mandatory face coverings and at least six feet of distance between groups.