2021/22 Season Impact Report

SEASON

21/22 SEASON IMPACT REPORT

MISSION

The mission of Ballet 5:8 is to engage communities in Chicago, the Midwest and across the nation in conversation of life and faith through innovative storytelling and breathtaking dance.

LETTERS FROM THE DIRECTORS Dear Ballet 5:8 Community, Wow! What an incredible and challenging year it has been. Ballet 5:8 just finished celebrating our 10th Anniversary Season and it was one for the books. It was so exciting to get the dancers back on tour and bring innovative storytelling and breathtaking dance to Peoria, IL; Dallas, TX; Houston, TX; San Antonio, TX; Milwaukee, WI; Anderson, IN; and Grand Rapids, MI as well as throughout Chicagoland! Reckless was able to be shared with so many diverse communities and we were able to partner with local organizations to raise awareness and make a difference together.

Going into the season, we thought the pandemic would be behind us but unfortunately, we continued to have to face many pivots and adjust our expectations for the season. However, we still got to see God move and provide in every circumstance and for that I am grateful!

An amazing highlight was our debut at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in downtown Chicago.

This is a theater known for dance in the heart of the city and we were so excited to share our 10FOLD bill there.

The Harris staff loved working with us and invited us to be a Resident Company for the coming season. We are excited about this incredible opportunity to share our mission with the support of the Harris Theater community.

At the School of Ballet 5:8, it was another exciting year of growth and training for the next generation of artists. The students got to return to the Lincoln-Way West stage to perform Beyond the Nutcracker and Julianna Rubio Slager’s newest ballet, The Dreamer. I love seeing the impact that each of our teachers has on the students and their families: so many students see Ballet 5:8 as a second home.

And, I can’t forget about you! I am so grateful for your continued investment in Ballet 5:8’s mission. All the incredible performances, transformation, and artistry you will read about are only made possible through your financial and prayerful partnership. Thank you for moving the mission forward.

All my best, Lauren Diaz Executive Director

Dear Ballet 5:8 Friend, I step into the sound booth and take a deep breath to calm my nerves. This is the sacred moment of quiet before each ballet when I remind myself that even though the farmer scatters the seed, it’s God who makes it grow. The next two hours will be a blur of movement, lights and music, but in this moment of quiet I remember my place before God. Each performance is deeply personal to me. It's a story that’s birthed of mind and body. Stories of hope through clinical depression. Stories of joy in dark moments. It celebrates life. Honors the loss. There’s a kernel of truth from my experience with God that is wrapped up in the beauty of the show.

It's in the quiet space of contemplation we often hear the still small voice of the Holy Spirit. And it’s this space that is increasingly rare for an oversaturated and undernourished society. And this is why I love ballet. The theater feels like one of the few remaining sacred spaces where we disconnect from the world and reconnect with our inner selves.

Ballet mirrors the mystery of Jesus’ teaching. In translating ideas to movement without the clarifying aid of speech, ballet leaves a wide chasm between movement and meaning.

It communicates in a method deeper than the spoken word, it taps into the subliminal space of emotion through the physical body.

And when this art form lends its voice to the truth of God in cooperation with the work of the Holy Spirit, we see many of the same responses as to the teaching of Jesus. For some, the art is only as deep as the well of emotion they bring into the space. It remains an intellectual curiosity for the evening, and then is snatched away as new entertainment takes its place. Sometimes the heart is hard, unwilling to receive the truth and allow new growth. But for others, the space created in the work causes introspection. The ears hear and the seed finds soil in which to decompose and it transforms into something beautiful.

With Joy, Julianna Rubio Slager Co-Founder, Artistic Director, & Resident Choreographer

20122022

99,675+ AUDIENCE MEMBERS

354+ PERFORMANCES

Audience data is from the 2013/14 Season and beyond

Julianna Rubio Slager often said throughout the year at Talkbacks following Ballet 5:8 performances how special it was to make it to 10 years! Many arts organizations don't make it that long and often fold between years five and ten. The mission and vision of Ballet 5:8 has only begun to scratch the surface of changing the ballet industry. Over ten years, more than four dozen original works have been created - predominately by Julianna Rubio Slager. Thousands of miles have been traversed across the United States to perform on many types of stages and to share beauty, hope, and redemptive stories with around 100,000 patrons. Hundreds of costumes have been custom designed and handmade to compliment every original ballet performed.

The School of Ballet 5:8 has been working throughout the Chicagoland community to shape the next generation of artists for the past decade as well. Several artists who grew up in the School of Ballet 5:8 now dance professionally with Ballet 5:8 - what an amazing gift! The School has served well into the thousands of students that live in Chicagoland and who also come from all over the country to train at Summer Intensive or in our yearround programs.

We are incredibly grateful to see Ballet 5:8 continue to break barriers in the antiquated ballet culture and reshape the culture to build a thriving community of artists and creators.

Thank you for journeying with us over the past 10 years and we hope to see you in the next chapter.

20

10TH ANNIVERSARY REPERTOIRE In honor of the 10th Season, many Ballet 5:8 favorites created

by Julianna Rubio Slager made their way back to the stage and were filmed and produced for Ballet 5:8 Online. The following is a list of works we performed this season for the 10 year anniversary.

FOUR SEASONS OF THE SOUL (2014) INTERPLAY (2016) RIPPLE EFFECT (2016) MEDITATIONS (2016) SHADES OF REFRAIN (2017) THE MOTHER (2017) ALL GOD'S CHILDREN (2017) BROTHERS & SISTERS (2019) GOLDEN SESSIONS (2020) + THREE NEW WORKS GOSPEL IMPRESSIONS (2021) DÍA DE LOS VIVOS (2021) TODO RABA (2022)

1,461

AUDIENCE PERFORMANCES MEMBERS Audience data includes Benefit performances, online shows, and 10FOLD. “I became more and more engaged throughout.

I felt inspired by the talent and creativity of the dancers and choreographer. The performance left me thinking about ballet as storytelling in ways that go beyond popular pieces.”

-Audience Member

NEW WORKS

GOSPEL IMPRESSIONS Gospel Impressions is inspired by leading contemporary artist Makoto Fujimura’s exquisite paintings, The Four Holy Gospels. Fujimura’s work is layered, colorful and nuanced. Julianna Rubio Slager takes his work as a base and fleshes out his inspiration, philosophy and painting with movement and geometry that further illuminate the gospel stories. Head of Wardrobe and Costume Design, Lorianne Robertson also expertly crafted each costume to represent Fujimura's paintings.

Click the QR code to see Makoto Fujimura's paintings The Four Holy Gopsels.

"10FOLD was expertly danced by Ballet5:8. The different sections of the ballet were diverse and you could feel the emotion from the dancers as the music accentuated the movements. It was our first ballet and it was simply beautiful. We thank you so much for your generosity." - VetTix Patron

TODO RABA “Todo Raba is a Hebrew phrase that means ‘thank you very much.’ This light-hearted, full ensemble work is simply a thank you to my friend and savior Jesus. Without him, nothing I do has any meaning or significance. Ballet 5:8’s ten-year anniversary is all about boasting in what He has done.”

- Julianna Rubio Slager

"This performance moved me to tears multiple times. I've only attended a ballet a few times. I was highly engaged the whole time. We had to grab a drink afterwards to discuss the experience & deep feelings that were stirred up. I will 100% be attending a Ballet 5:8 performance in the future & recommend to others."

-Harris Theater Audience Member

DÍA DE LOS VIVOS

Día de Los Vivos was created based on Julianna Rubio Slager’s personal experience with clinical depression.

Every 40 seconds someone in the world dies from suicide. Countless others bear the crushing weight of depression in silence. Día de Los Vivos is a tribute to the men and women that fight each day to stay on this planet. It is a love letter to those who choose to fight the good fight, who choose to believe in hope; to honor all who choose to stay.

"We are honored to tell stories that are so deeply meaningful and impactful. At Ballet 5:8 we are not afraid to press into the hard topics that might feel difficult to express with words. Through dance each story takes on an embodiment of expression and allows audiences to connect from their personal journey to feel seen and to also find hope. As I watched this piece for the first time I was able to see my minor battles with depression but I also saw the battles of people I love dearly and my heart ached with them. I am grateful for the hope we have in Jesus and for a life everlasting with Him even in the midst of our earthly struggles. In this story we see the main dancer find hope again and embrace the joy of being alive."

-Lauren Diaz, Executive Director

RECKLESS

8 PERFORMANCES

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS THROUGHOUT THE U.S.

1,111 DONATED TO THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS

“Ballet 5:8 shines hope in hard places.

Reckless is no exception. I’m left pondering that all of us are bound with sin, and no one is above another. Jesus’s arm is strong enough to carry all of us through the challenges we face, even circumstances as difficult as Gomer and Hosea’s."

-Audience Member

930 AUDIENCE MEMBERS

“Reckless is a ballet that deals directly with the objectification of women as sexual objects. In the creating of Reckless and in telling Gomer's story it was incredibly important to me that we neither glorify, nor downplay the trauma experienced by women in the sex trafficking industry. After hours and hours of listening to survivor testimony it became very clear that Gomer's story was not going to be neat and tidy. There was no place in the story for cliches or for pushing a modern agenda about sex workers. The story dutifully, compassionately and truthfully brings the voice of survivors to the stage through the character of Gomer.

No other agenda could compete with my desire to tell those stories with tenderness and nuance.”

- Julianna Rubio Slager

120

5 WEEKS

STUDENTS SERVED

SUMMER INTENSIVE A rigorous and enriching five weeks of summer intensive continued this year. Each year this program continues to grow, with this year gaining 32 more students. Dancers not only gain valuable information for their training, but they also get to experience God alongside their time at Ballet 5:8. Each day begins with devotionals, and students participate in weekly bible studies and creative worship sessions. Students also receive supplemental seminars about auditions, job interviews, injury prevention and beyond.

"I learned how to fine tune my technique. I also learned how to be free in small groups, devotions, creative worship, jazz, and contemporary, something that was harder for me to do before."

- Ananya Moses, Conservatory Student "I gained technique, artistry, and a connection with self and God.” - Jarrett Crowthers, Collegiate Intensive Student "I feel like I grew so much in so many different ways at intensive.

Every time I come I feel like God is working in me. On top of all of that, the training is top notch and forms me into a better dancer. Overall, it’s a transformative experience."

-Zoe Chamberlain, Open Enrollment Student

SCHOOL OF BALLET 5:8 ORLAND PARK CAMPUS 356 STUDENTS BEVERLY CAMPUS 36 STUDENTS VALPARAISO CAMPUS 77 STUDENTS

INSTRUCTORS | 19

It was another bustling year of classes and fun at the School! We kicked off the year with an event called Ballet 5:8 Palooza and invited families in the community to join us for a carnival style event complete with mini dance classes and performances by our Trainees. The Orland Park and Beverly campuses continued to grow despite some of the continued effects of the pandemic.

Sadly, after much consideration and prayer, we had to close our Valparaiso campus after the conclusion of this school year. We are grateful for the years we had to invest in the Valparaiso community through classes and performances. We look forward to planting more satellite campuses around the Chicagoland area in the near future.

TIMOTHY SCHOLARSHIP The Timothy Scholarship was created for students of AALANA minority backgrounds who are hard working and exemplify the character of Christ to their teachers, directors and fellow students.

Congratulations to Evangeline Sernas, Ananya Moses, and Mackenzie Bolton for receiving these awards in the 2021/22 School Year.

ADDITIONALLY, DOZENS OF STUDENTS THROUGHOUT ALL LEVELS OF THE SCHOOL RECEIVED $30,000 OF AID AND SCHOLARSHIPS THANKS TO YOUR GENEROSITY!

BEYOND THE NUTCRACKER Beyond the Nutcracker returned to Valparaiso High School and Lincoln-Way West High School this Christmas season. It was a special moment for the students of Ballet 5:8 to return to the theater and share this incredible story of the real meaning of Christmas with the community.

The 2021/22 Season marked the seventh year of performing Beyond the Nutcracker. It has become the South Suburbs' cherished holiday tradition.

A SPECIAL NOTE OF THANKS: After many years of renting two backdrops for sets, this year we purchased a high-quality projector to increase the storytelling and production value of performances. This investment was made possible because of your generosity.

VOLUNTEERS 409 HOURS | 140 VOLUNTEERS

We could not run many of our special events or extra projects around the studios without our amazing volunteers. Thank you to our School of Ballet 5:8 volunteers who contributed to Ballet 5:8’s mission.

2,349 AUDIENCE MEMBERS

5 PERFORMANCES

“The show is so beautifully done and well choreographed. I felt so uplifted at the end of the show and amazed at how much work the dancers put into their performances” -Audience Member “It was a beautiful artistic expression of the Gospel message.”

- Audience Member

THE DREAMER The newest story ballet created by Julianna Rubio Slager for the School of Ballet 5:8.

1,278 AUDIENCE MEMBERS

3 PERFORMANCES

“The variety of music, costumes, dances, styles, ages of performers, etc. was delightful! It was good to be reminded of Joseph's faithfulness to God and God's faithfulness in giving Joseph success wherever he was--in the palace or in the jail."

- Karyn Hecht, Audience Member

Set in ancient times, The Dreamer uses the powerful story of Joseph's courage in the face of difficulties.

Each of us can see ourselves in the struggles Joseph faces with the ups and downs of life. We see the miraculous ways that God turns evil intentions into incredible agents for good through the retelling of Joseph's life and dreams.

“This is the most beautiful ballet I have ever seen at Ballet 5:8. I loved the use of the backdrops of branches and sun, and other nature scenes with gentle movement- these and the music contributed to a dreamy state, which blends so well for the gentle movements of ballet."

-Claire Westrick, Audience Member

NEHEMIAH AWARD The Nehemiah Award recognizes outstanding donors and volunteers who went above and beyond to provide for Ballet 5:8’s ministry.

For our 2021/22 recipient we would like to honor Jeremy Slager. Jeremy has graciously and generously volunteered his time and talents at Ballet 5:8 over the past ten years. He has contributed in so many ways to make the mission possible. Here are just a few of the ways he has contributed over the years: - Made many outreach efforts to churches and organizations to invite them to performances.

- Drove the dancers on many tours.

- Built everything you could imagine at the studios and for sets.

- Shared his expertise in setting up many digital ads for performances and classes.

- Edited and wrote grant proposals.

Jeremy, we are so thankful for your ongoing support of Ballet 5:8 in both the seen and unseen!

Thank you for making the mission possible.

STUDIO SPONSORS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Robert & Wanda Bowman Miss Suzy Jillson Morin Family EliteScience.net Dana Hodge King

Susan Jillson | President Tara Torkelson | Vice President Linda Jillson | Secretary Reuben A. Rubio II, Ph.D. | Treasurer Tracie Marciniak Lisa M. Wainwright

SEASON SPONSORS Allegro Dance Boutique Athletico Wanda Bowman | Las Cruces Ashley Furniture Homestore Discount Dance Dr. Jason Kosek | Lincoln-Way Chiropractic Clinic Mariia Dancewear

GRANTORS

ADVISORY COUNCIL Karl "KJ" Johnson Jeremy Slager

AMBASSADORS Laura Kalinski Jeff Sweeney

Illinois Arts Council Agency

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Ballet Five Eight NFP 11545 183rd Pl Ste 101 Orland Park, IL 60467

DANCEMAKERS CIRCLE

Special thanks to the highlighted Dancemakers Circle members, who give monthly and are sustaining partners!

BENEFACTOR CIRCLE ($10,000+) Robert & Wanda Bowman Dana Hodge King Illinois Arts Council Agency Suzy Jillson

Anderson University Ransomed Life Pittco

Anonymous (2) Olivier & Naomi Morin Ransomed Life

Anonymous (5) Anonymous (3) Cal & Kim Benedict Kathleen & Mark Blando Tim & Nancy Botts Stephanie Chinn Fawn & James Duncan Ian & Abi Gardner Ruth Gray Linda Jillson Matthew & Frieda Linsner Dan & Dana Meinkow Karina Mora-Metts Dolores Rubio Reuben & Kathleen Rubio Laura Slager In honor of Aunt Becky McCormick Charles C Pringle School of Ballet 5:8 Families Melissa & Del Tackett Tara Torkelson Charles Wilson In memory of Pat Windel Pat & Bob Windel

ARTIST CIRCLE ($720+)

Anonymous (4) Ting Ting & Jim Branit Emelene Jay William Keyser Mitch & Misty Lown Pittco Charles C Pringle Joshua Tjia Lisa Wainwright In memory of Patricia Windel

Acxiom Boeing Caterpillar MBI Staffing Microsoft PNC Foundation The Next Level Planning Group, LLC Twilio

CITY SPONSORS

DIRECTOR CIRCLE ($6,000+)

CHOREOGRAPHER CIRCLE ($1,200+)

MATCHING GIFTS

PATRON CIRCLE ($360+)

Amazon Smile Foundation Anonymous Anonymous (5) Beverly Dennen Pamela Dennen Pamela & William Freeman Patrice Johnson Mr. & Mrs. Rich Kalinski Jennifer Kowach Ken & Sandy Kozol Tom & Ruth Opsal Brian & Shawna Paterson Elyssa Peters Kate Reese Rimkunas Family Andrew & Lorianne Robertson In honor of Gwen & Luci Perry & Ginger Sapp Schantz Family In honor of Melanie Rodrigues Andrew & Brenda Sippel Julianna & Jeremy Slager Ken Wainwright Blake & Laura Willis Leslie Willis Linda Wilson In memory of Patricia Windel Tom Woodworth

ADVOCATE ($180+)

Anonymous (5) Anonymous (6) Krista Acke Hannah Anderson Marika Aquino Kelly Babcock Rebecca Black & John Schumacher Ann Broda Irene Camacho Lisa & Steve Chikerotis

Carrie Clarke Janice Corbett Lauren & Rey Diaz Bonnie Ehlers Exelon Noah Fenn Flipbook Moving Pictures A. Samuel & Virginia Gray Stan & Stephanie Harding Michael Howes Karl ‘KJ’ Johnson Jessica Kirkman Liz Lampright David & Angela Lane Sandra Larson Phyllis & Gavin Meeks Nick & Kylene Mitchell Lilliann & Gerald Novak Sharon Quick Gladys Rice Alejandra Rivera Amanda Rosenthal Amy Sakell Scott & Carmen Shepard Diana Softcheck Michael & Holly Svehla John Szwast Dawn Ventura Erin Wendorf Eric Watts Brittany White Sardjono Widjaja Caitlin Wuethrich Noel Young Megan Zepeda Bill & Carolyn Zic

FRIEND ($75+)

Anonymous (10) Nell Aiken Keith & Nancy Andersen/Gove Christina & Ryan Anderson Sonia Baity Brian Beakley

Lawrence & Virgina Biasotto Darnetta Bolton Lisa Blando Jacqueline Burger Rita Burnett Angela Cardas-Meredith Peter & Stefania Charpentier Lisa & Steve Chikerotis Carrie Clarke Arlene & Chad Cochran Elena Colombo Aimee & Daniel Curry Lynn Davis Jordan Dennen Edouard DeSoto John Dillard Jennifer Doerr Micaela Enriquez Lori Evenhouse Susie Fernandes Sharon Flynn Marc & Nikki Fontanetta David Gallagher Lisa & Brian Garrigan Charet Geaga Blandine Glaize Steve Gouris Joshua Hamlett Emma Haupt Sonja Hoesch Penelope Houle Sandra JaBaay Susan Jiang Stephen Keating Allison Kinder Jason & Sue Kreider Marti Krieger Mary Lambert Liliana Lewis Elaine & Wade Lewis Gregory Lee Liliana Lewis Sierra Magie Tracie Marciniak John & Ana McCague

Marisa & Frank Nardi Elissa Onufrock Margaret Osmianski David & Diane Painting Carolyn Palmer Stacy Palmer Chul Park Maria Pavlopoulos Lauren & Tim Pearson John Pook Jamie Potts Sarah & Josh Powell Carmen Rogge Ken Rohmiller Amanda Rosenthal Joan Rzonca Ed Sarna Allyn Schaub Bonnie Schwartz Tasha Scurlock Leah Sernas Penny Shamma Marlys & Edward Sielsky In honor of Lorianne Robertson Leanne & Derrick Spell Jay & Diane Stanwich Joy Starr Jennifer Stawick Jacqueline Stull Alvin Tjia Natalie Tomich Joy Van Patten Iris VanWieren Karen Waibel Lisa & Charles Wheeler Nany Widjaja Swanny Widjaja Lisa Wilson