Ballet 5:8 Presents World Premiere Of BAREFACE On Earth Day, April 22

Ballet 5:8, a female and minority-led premiere ballet company recognized for artistic excellence, innovation, technical precision and beauty, will present the world premiere of BareFace at Harris Theater for Music and Dance (205 E. Randolph St.) on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22, 2023 at 7:30 p.m.

BareFace will be the company's first work performed on the Harris Theater stage as a new Resident Company. BareFace is a full-length and daring new story ballet based on mythology's greatest love story, Cupid and Psyche, reimagined for 21st-century audiences and retold from a distinctly female perspective. As one of the only ballets set in a future post-apocalyptic world, the work comments on the issue of pollution and features an impressive set design made of 95% recycled material. BareFace also features several handmade Grecian style and futuristic costumes, a dress constructed with over 150 yards of fabric spanning the entire stage larger than the costume shop itself and more. Audiences are invited to examine the timeless yet transient nature of love and beauty.

Tickets are on sale now ranging from $15 to $75 based on seating. Tickets are available online at Ballet58.org/Calendar/Chicago-BareFace or by calling Harris Theater's box office at (312) 334-7777 during operating hours.

"Stories are told from the vantage point of the storyteller. And throughout history, most storytellers have been men. This imbalance has left women on the outside, trying to find their stories within the masculine framing of each narrative. The myth of Cupid and Psyche follows this well-worn narrative pathway," said Artistic Director and Resident Choreographer Julianna Rubio Slager. "But what if, instead of viewing the women as bit players and supporting actors, we let their viewpoint take center stage? In BareFace, the story is told uniquely from Psyche's older sister's viewpoint and audiences will see female athlete artists in all of the leading roles. We're excited to present a modern version of this classic myth where audiences will see females as both the protagonist and antagonist and elevate female voices to dominate the stage."

Ballet 5:8 Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager masterfully weaves the female perspective into the narrative with her bold and captivating new work, BareFace. Slager allows Psyche's older sister to tell the audience why she cannot simply allow Cupid and Psyche to be happy, but instead convinces Psyche to dismiss Cupid's one request. BareFace reimagines this classic Greek myth in a distant future realm, carrying forward the timeless nature of humanity while shedding the trappings of our modern age. Wrestling with the meaning of beauty and the perceived necessity of hiding the ugly truth that resides in human hearts, BareFace presents a haunting mirror to the human soul as it lays bare the elements of love, jealousy and what it means to be beautiful.

Love has been the muse for all manner of myths, legends, movies and poems throughout the ages. Often held as the greatest of all virtues, love can even be said to be the bridge from mortals to the divine. Rubio Slager explores the myth of Cupid and Psyche in order to reveal love's motivations, pitfalls and blind spots. BareFace begs and challenges the audiences to look inward at one's own desire for love and ask whether or not the depths of hearts could be understood. All remain faceless until one is brave enough to look staunchly upon the ugliness of duplicitous motives. True beauty is discovered when jealousy is released and selfless love is embraced.

Set in the fictive world of Glome, audiences can expect to be gripped by the dynamic storytelling through the unparalleled athletic prowess of Ballet 5:8 dance artists. The production is brought to life by Head of Wardrobe Lorianne Robertson, set designs by artist Graham Louthan and projections by Sarah L. Freeman. BareFace features several handmade Grecian style and futuristic costumes, skillfully blending the historic Grecian beauty with modern day Avant Garde aesthetics.

Ballet 5:8 presents the world premiere of BareFace at Harris Theater for Thought and Culture (205 E. Randolph St.) on Saturday, April 22 at 7:30 p.m. Tiered single tickets are available ranging from $15 to $75 based on seating and available online at: Ballet58.org/Calendar/Chicago-BareFace or on Harris Theater's website: HarrisTheaterChicago.org/Performance/BareFace. Tickets are also available by calling Harris Theater's box office at (312) 334-7777 during operating hours. Specific children, student and senior ticket prices are available. For groups of 10 or more adults, patrons can use the code: B58GROUP to redeem $5 off each ticket.

The all-new Pendry Chicago and Ballet 5:8 Luxury VIP Hotel Offer is available this Spring. Patrons are invited to stay at a creative rebirth of the Burnham Brother's iconic, bold and playful Art Deco Carbide & Carbon building and be inspired by the spectacular World Premiere of BareFace at Harris Theater for Music and Dance on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22.

Steeped in history and anchored in style, the modern-day luxury Pendry Chicago hotel is located in Chicago's Loop, steps away from the Harris Theater. The reimagined 1929 landmark features 364 redesigned guestrooms, suites, the signature restaurant and glowing brasserie Venteux, Bar Pendry, and Cote D'Azur inspired rooftop terrace Château Carbide. Pendry Chicago is both a restoration and a reinvigoration of a Chicago architectural marvel.

The VIP Offer features:

• Room Accommodations at Pendry Chicago
• Special Welcome Amenity including Show Program, Merchandise and Pendry Macaroons
• Ballet Tickets for Two
• Hotel Credit for Dinner and Drinks Pre-Show at Bar Pendry, Venteux, or Château Carbide
• Cadillac Service to Harris Theater for Music and Dance
• Special Post-Show Meet-and-gGreet with the Cast

Contact Pendry Chicago's reservation team to book directly at pchreservations@pendry.com or call (312) 985-0942. For more information, visit Pendry Chicago's Seasonal Happenings at Pendry.com/Chicago.

The Living Room Series was first inspired by stories that Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager recalled listening to while growing up in her grandparents' living room about overcoming challenges as second generation immigrants in America.

Ballet 5:8 now offers The Living Room Series as unique and custom curated performance experience packages that patrons and venues can book for events, intimate gatherings, house parties and more. "Dancers, a pianist and spoken word artists are brought directly into your homes! Serving as a 'centerpiece,' friends and families can enjoy meaningful, up-close balletic works that embody their own personal life experiences right in their living rooms," said Artistic Director and Resident Choreographer Julianna Rubio Slager. "The goal and vision of The Living Room Series hopes to 'bring dance back to the people,' as Alvin Ailey once said. And through exquisite dancing, help people come together to celebrate and fellowship again where isolation and quarantine at homes has discouraged many."

The Living Room Series is a series of site-specific works in different homes and venues. Each individual performance will be curated by Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager and choreography will be informed by patrons' unique generational life stories. This experience is suitable for events, celebrations, house parties, intimate gatherings and more.

Life happens in the living room. In the center of our homes, generations gather, wisdom is shared, and relationships are both built up and torn down. Through The Living Room Series, Ballet 5:8 recreates the cyclical stories that shape lives through meaningful, up-close and exquisite dancing. Some are playful, and some are tumultuous, but each living room moment shapes the story being carried out into the world. After the pandemic, Ballet 5:8 created The Living Room Series to help celebrate the return of live gatherings again in a heartwarming and imaginative fashion.

Patrons interested in booking The Living Room Series event at house parties or venues can visit Ballet58.org/Living-Room-Series. The Living Room Series bookings are available all year round.

Ballet 5:8 will continue to offer exquisite online performances including $1 ballet on demand, 7-Day Rental Packages and 3-Day Rentals. Patrons are invited to experience Ballet 5:8's innovative storytelling and breathtaking dances from anywhere across the world-all at affordable prices. Online performances are original works choreographed by Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager, performed by Artists of the Company and filmed especially to present fantastic online viewing experiences. Online performances are perfect for watch parties, house parties, intimate gatherings, performance studies classes and more. For more information, visit Ballet58.org/Online

$1 Ballet Performance On Demand (3-Day Rental)

• Meditations | $1
  • Originally premiered in 2016, Meditations is inspired by C.S. Lewis' essay Meditation in a Toolshed. The ballet explores how a different perspective can lead two different people to the same conclusion. Lewis uses this analogy to describe the mystery of faith.
• Brothers & Sisters | $1
  • Originally premiered in 2019, Brothers & Sisters inspired by the innate beauty of men and women. Contrast and subtlety. Difference and similarity. Overlap and distinction. The Creator must have moved with delight as he drew his children with contrasting and complementary strokes. Men and women. Brothers and sisters. A family both fully unique and yet strikingly similar.

7-Day Rental Packages

Inspired By C.S. Lewis | $45
Ballet 5:8 has a long history of creating breathtaking and innovative ballets based on cultural luminary C.S. Lewis' writings. In this package, audience members will enjoy the following works by Artistic Director, Co-Founder and Resident Choreographer Julianna Rubio Slager:

• The Space in Between
  • Originally premiered in 2018, The Space in Between is inspired by The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis.
• Golden Sessions
  • Originally premiered in 2020, Golden Sessions is inspired by The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis.
• Meditations
  • Originally premiered in 2020, Meditations is inspired by C.S. Lewis' essay Meditation in a Toolshed.
• Of Splendors & Horrors
  • Originally premiered in 2020, Of Splendors & Horrors is inspired by The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis.

Compass Project | $30
In the 2017-2018 season, Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager created four one-act ballets designed to help communities navigate cultural tension with compassion. This bundle includes the following works:

• All God's Children
  • Originally premiered in 2017, All God's Children is a ballet based on a poem by Sojourner Truth. The ballet approaches the issue of racial tension and diversity from a fresh perspective.
• The Mother
  • Originally premiered in 2017, The Mother is an interpretation of the poem by Pulitzer Prize author and Chicagoan Gwendolyn Brooks.
• 4501
  • As the nation progresses in technology and prosperity, there remains an undercurrent of forgotten men and women. Currently, 2,298,300 men and women sit in the U.S. prison system waiting for release. But lost in the expansive numbers and systemic social issues is the humanity of each individual. Each one has a story. Each one has hopes and dreams. Originally premiered in 2019, 4501 stages the story of a single prisoner, Alfredo Garcia, and how Garcia discovers truth in the loneliness of his cell.
• Shades of Refrain
  • Originally premiered in 2017, Shades of Refrain is a modern day plunge into the deep end of human emotions. This dance peels back the layers of disguise and masquerade to reveal the naked human heart that all are accustomed to. Shades of Refrain is a 21st-century interpretation of the centuries old book of Psalms with a series of heart cries from the created to the Creator. Some are cries of joy and elation, while others are laments of despair. The ballet unravels the melody that underscores human existence and the search for meaning, finding a faithful answer in communion with the Creator.

3-Day Rentals
3-Day Rentals available any time, anywhere and all at affordable prices. Ballets available for 3-day rentals choreographed by Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager include:

• Four Seasons of the Soul | $25
• Shades of Refrain | $5
• 4501 | $5
• Día de Los Vivos | $30
• Todo Raba | $7
• Golden Sessions | $25
• Dry Bones | $5
• Interplay | $10
• All God's Children | $15
• Ripple Effect | $10
• The Mother | $5
• Of Splendors & Horrors | $10

Ballet 5:8 Artistic Director, Co-Founder and Resident Choreographer Julianna Rubio Slager studied under notable teachers from the New York City Ballet, the Vaganova Academy and Puerto Rican National Ballet. Rubio Slager enjoyed dancing under Barbara Smith at Greater Lansing Ballet during her training, and also under Kathy Thibodeaux and Sol Maisonet at Ballet Magnificat. Rubio Slager co-founded Ballet 5:8 in 2012 and is known for the unique ability to engage audiences in discussions of life and faith through exquisite choreography. As one of the few Mexican American Artistic Directors and Resident Choreographers, Rubio Slager is a groundbreaking representation empowering minority women to command space in the professional ballet scene. Over the past decade, Rubio Slager has dedicated herself to training and mentoring young artists at the School of Ballet 5:8's Pre-Professional, Conservatory and Trainee programs. Students from the School of Ballet 5:8 have been awarded contracts, scholarships and placements with world-class dance companies, colleges and schools across the country testifying to the unmatched quality of dance education Rubio Slager provides.

Ballet 5:8 is a female and minority-led premiere ballet company recognized for remarkable artistic excellence, innovation, technical precision and beauty. Mexican American Artistic Director, Julianna Rubio Slager, creates original and dynamic ballet experiences drawing from life, faith, current events and diverse perspectives that tell relevant stories of the 21st century. Rubio Slager brings to life ballets that are relatable and accessible to all people, delighting both the seasoned balletomane and the first time audience. Since its founding in 2012, Ballet 5:8 has presented more than 45 critically acclaimed ballets forging a robust repertoire, engaging and captivating communities in Chicago, the Midwest and across the nation. Headquartered in Orland Park, IL, Ballet 5:8 is the only professional touring company in Chicago's South Suburbs and serves more than 400 students a year at the School of Ballet 5:8 as a cultural staple in the community. The School also has a Beverly Campus on Chicago's South Side raising up the next generation of aspiring artists. For more information about Ballet 5:8, visit Ballet58.org and connect on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.

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