A ballerina looking away with her arms extended upward. A golden light burst and shine in the foreground.

Resident Company

Beauty Will Save the World

Ballet 5:8

Performances

Oct 11 Sat 07:30PM

Performance Run Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Ballet 5:8 returns to the Harris Theater with Beauty Will Save the World—a compelling mixed-repertory program that celebrates resilience, cultural heritage, and the transformative power of beauty in turbulent times. Anchoring the company’s annual Gala, this performance brings together five distinct works that cross boundaries of genre, language, and tradition.

The evening features a rare Chicago performance of Gerald Arpino’s Birthday Variations, alongside a world premiere by celebrated choreographer Kevin Jenkins. Ballet 5:8’s own audience favorite The Sea is Flat delivers a storm of movement exploring inner peace amid chaos. A new excerpt from the company’s nationally recognized BIOS Project uplifts the voice of an emerging BIPOC choreographer, and Día de los Vivos offers a joyful tribute to life, memory, and Hispanic identity.

Founded in 2012 and led by Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager, Ballet 5:8 is one of the Midwest’s most original and inclusive ballet companies—recognized for storytelling that engages both heart and intellect. With its blend of classical precision and contemporary relevance, Beauty Will Save the World invites audiences to encounter dance as a force not of escape, but of restoration.

About Ballet 5:8

Ballet 5:8 sparks discussion on life, faith, and human dignity through powerful storytelling and breathtaking dance. Founded in 2012 and based in the Chicago area, the female- and minority-led company challenges assumptions—about who ballet is for, where it belongs, and what it can say.

Led by Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager, Ballet 5:8 creates original, critically acclaimed works that blend classical technique with relevant, thought-provoking themes. From full-length narrative ballets to cutting-edge contemporary premieres, the company’s repertoire invites audiences into conversations that are both deeply human and urgently current.

Ballet 5:8 is widely recognized for its commitment to equity in the arts—commissioning work by women and BIPOC choreographers, eliminating unpaid apprenticeships, and launching the BIOS Project to amplify emerging voices. The company performs across the U.S. and is a Resident Company at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance.

More than performance, Ballet 5:8 offers dance as a force for transformation—beauty not as escape, but as invitation.