The return of the Chicago-based Ballet 5:8 to Grand Rapids Christian High School’s DeVos Center for the Arts and Worship not only reinforced the modern ballet troupe’s technical prowess but also artistic director/choreographer Julianna Rubio Slager and dancer/costumer designer Lorianne Barclay’s bold ability to create emotional stage production’s that also carry moral and religious meaning.

60-second Review

Ballet 5:8 premiere of “The Space in Between”, with “Four Seasons of the Soul”, Oct. 6, at Richard and Helen Devos Center for Arts & Worship, Grand Rapids, Mi.

The return of the Chicago-based Ballet 5:8 to Grand Rapids Christian High School’s DeVos Center for the Arts and Worship not only reinforced the modern ballet troupe’s technical prowess but also artistic director/choreographer Julianna Rubio Slager and dancer/costumer designer Lorianne Barclay’s bold ability to create emotional stage production’s that also carry moral and religious meaning.

Creating a masterpiece can take a lifetime. There is a certain process in crafting each detail that cannot be rushed, but in a world of limited time and tight funding, modern day artists have been forced to find creative ways to make the best of their resources. This is especially true in the world of dance, where choreographers are tasked not only with making movement to communicate their stories and ideas, but must also make considerations for the perfect musical score, costuming, and lighting and stage design. So how do dance makers begin to approach the task of bringing all of these elements to life on stage? Consider the masterpieces that Artistic Director Julianna Slager has created for her company, Ballet 5:8. Since the company’s founding in 2012, Julianna has worked to nurture her creative process to produce a number of works that had the dancers touring nationally just two years later. This is no small achievement for any body of performing artists – many spend five years or more in their home cities before the possibility of presenting work across the country is even on the table. It speaks volumes to the quality, originality, and artistic and technical prowess both choreographer and dancers bring into the theater.

Creating a masterpiece can take a lifetime. There is a certain process in crafting each detail that cannot be rushed, but in a world of limited time and tight funding, modern day artists have been forced to find creative ways to make the best of their resources. This is especially true in the world of dance, where choreographers are tasked not only with making movement to communicate their stories and ideas, but must also make considerations for the perfect musical score, costuming, and lighting and stage design. So how do dance makers begin to approach the task of bringing all of these elements to life on stage? Consider the masterpieces that Artistic Director Julianna Slager has created for her company, Ballet 5:8. Since the company’s founding in 2012, Julianna has worked to nurture her creative process to produce a number of works that had the dancers touring nationally just two years later. This is no small achievement for any body of performing artists – many spend five years or more in their home cities before the possibility of presenting work across the country is even on the table. It speaks volumes to the quality, originality, and artistic and technical prowess both choreographer and dancers bring into the theater.

ANDERSON — A hybrid adaption of one of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s famous novels is being performed live Saturday at the Paramount Theatre

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.

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.

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.

A book from high school English inspired Julianna Rubio Slager to write a full-length ballet.

Slager is the artistic director at Ballet 5:8 in Frankfort. She created and choreographed "Scarlet," a ballet-film hybrid adapted from Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic novel, "The Scarlet Letter."

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.

There are classic American novels that every high school student will leaf through in their academic careers. But if you are or were like most high school students, you read the book, scratched your head, and rallied through your assignments, often without fully grasping the gravity of the story at hand. Instead of relying on Wikipedia and Spark Notes to understand Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, consider seeing it on stage through Ballet 5:8’s full length, original ballet, Scarlet. Choreographer and Artistic Director of Ballet 5:8, Julianna Slager, has spent years meticulously researching and fine-tuning her choreography in preparation for Scarlet to return to the stage this February at the Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin, IL. DancerMusic’s Kristi Licera sat down with Julianna to learn more about her research, creative process, and the importance of taking time to edit an artistic work:

There are classic American novels that every high school student will leaf through in their academic careers. But if you are or were like most high school students, you read the book, scratched your head, and rallied through your assignments, often without fully grasping the gravity of the story at hand. Instead of relying on Wikipedia and Spark Notes to understand Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, consider seeing it on stage through Ballet 5:8’s full length, original ballet, Scarlet. Choreographer and Artistic Director of Ballet 5:8, Julianna Slager, has spent years meticulously researching and fine-tuning her choreography in preparation for Scarlet to return to the stage this February at the Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin, IL. DancerMusic’s Kristi Licera sat down with Julianna to learn more about her research, creative process, and the importance of taking time to edit an artistic work: