CHICAGO – Known for its commitment to bringing innovative storytelling and breathtaking dance throughout the Midwest, Chicago’s Ballet 5:8 will visit the Champaign/Urbana area for the first time in March with Compass, a collection of one-act ballets on navigating cultural tension with compassion. In Chicago, Ballet 5:8’s work has been called “exceptionally well done” and “these are serious, talented dancers.” The 12-member company’s Compass program stretches across time and space to explore some of the most pressing topics of our day. At times witty and satirical, and at times deeply emotional, Compass is full of athleticism, power, and poetry. A single performance will be held on Saturday, March 2 at 7:00 pm at the Urbana High School, 1002 S Race St, Urbana, IL 61801.

CHICAGO – Now in its 7th performance season, Ballet 5:8 returns to the Hemmens Cultural Center with The Space in Between. What if heaven is nearer than we think? What if we carry inside of us the darkness of hell? Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager’s newest work draws inspiration from The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis, using Ballet 5:8’s signature blend of innovative storytelling and breathtaking dance to explore the nature of eternity and the joy found on its shores. The single Elgin performance will be held on Saturday, February 16 at 7:00pm at the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin, IL 60120. Attendees are additionally invited to attend a post-performance Q&A. Tickets are $30 for adults, $22 for students and seniors, and $15 for children.

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.

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.

CHICAGO – Now in its 7th performance season, Ballet 5:8 returns to Fort Wayne this November with The Space in Between. What if heaven is nearer than we think? What if we carry inside of us the darkness of hell? Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager’s newest work draws inspiration from The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis, using Ballet 5:8’s signature blend of innovative storytelling and breathtaking dance to explore the nature of eternity and the joy found on its shores. A single Fort Wayne performance will be held on Saturday, November 3 at 7:00pm at First Presbyterian Theater, 300 W. Wayne St. Attendees are invited to attend a post-performance Q&A. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for students and seniors, and $12 for children. 

CHICAGO – Now in its 7th performance season, Ballet 5:8 returns to The Athenaeum Theatre with The Space in Between. What if heaven is nearer than we think?  What if we carry inside of us the darkness of hell? Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager’s newest work draws inspiration from The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis, using Ballet 5:8’s signature blend of innovative storytelling and breathtaking dance to explore the nature of eternity and the joy found on its shores. The Chicago performances will be held on Saturday, October 20 at 7:30pm and Sunday, October 21 at 2:30pm at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N Southport Ave. Attendees are additionally invited to attend a post-performance Q&A. Tickets are $30 for adults, $22 for students and seniors, and $15 for children.

The faith-based company Ballet 5:8 returns to Chicago's Athanaeum Theatre October 20-21 with a program featuring two works by artistic director Julianna Rubio Slager. The Space In Between, Slager's newest work, is inspired by C.S. Lewis' The Great Divorce and explores the author's concept of hell. Also on the program is Slager's Four Seasons of the Soul, which connects nature's seasons to Slager's spiritual and religious life.

CHICAGO – Now in its 7th performance season, Ballet 5:8 debuts in Western Ohio this October with The Space in Between. What if heaven is nearer than we think? What if we carry inside of us the darkness of hell? Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager’s newest work draws inspiration from The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis, using Ballet 5:8’s signature blend of innovative storytelling and breathtaking dance to explore the nature of eternity and the joy found on its shores. A single Dayton performance will be held on Saturday, October 13 at 7:00pm at the Northridge High School Auditorium, 2251 Timber Ln. Attendees are invited to attend a post-performance Q&A. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for students and seniors, and $12 for children.

CHICAGO – Now in its 7th performance season, Ballet 5:8 returns to Grand Rapids this October with The Space in Between, after a debut performance of Compass: Navigating Cultural Tension with Compassion in 2017. What if heaven is nearer than we think?  What if we carry inside of us the darkness of hell? Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager’s newest work draws inspiration from The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis, using Ballet 5:8’s signature blend of innovative storytelling and breathtaking dance to explore the nature of eternity and the joy found on its shores. A single Grand Rapids performance will be held on Saturday, October 6 at 7:00pm at the Devos Center for Arts and Worship, 2300 Plymouth Avenue Southeast. Attendees are additionally invited to attend a post-performance Q&A. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for students and seniors, and $12 for children

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.

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.