Currently in its Fifth Anniversary Season, the innovative, 12-member company Ballet 5:8 will make its Philadelphia debut with a single performance this April as part of a nation-wide tour. The thoughtful evening of dance will include five original works choreographed by Ballet 5:8 Artistic Director Julianna Slager and former Houston Ballet dancer Caleb Mitchell. The varied program explores love, the power of words, unexpected joy, perspectives, and the stories of everyday people. The performance will take place on Sunday, April 2nd at 2:00pm at Plays & Players, 1714 Delancey Street Philadelphia, PA, 19103. Tickets are $30 for adults, $26 for students and seniors, and $15 for children 12 and under. Tickets are available at Ballet58.org and by calling 312-725-4752.Performances will conclude with an interactive panel discussion with the artists. Audience members have said The Stor(ies) of You and Me is “an enchanting evening,” has “something for everyone,” and is “so moving as to bring tears.”
Performances are made possible in part by Season Sponsors Prima Soft Dancewear and Allegro Dance Boutique of Chicago.
The Stor(ies) of You and Me program is titled after Ballet 5:8 Guest Choreographer Caleb Mitchell’s work of the same name. Mitchell, born and raised in Detroit, graduated cum laude with a BFA in dance from the University of Arizona and performed with the Houston Ballet from 1998-2007 under Ben Stevenson, O.B.E.-emeritus and later Stanton Welch, Artistic Director. For Ballet 5:8, he choreographed using a collection of stories, drawing on “the stories that shape us.” Slager expanded on this idea using the four other works in the program, telling stories of joy, sorrow, love, triumph and tragedy that everyone can relate to in some way. In a time of much national turmoil, it is more important than ever that we have moments in our lives and our communities to slow down and enjoy art and stories together! When stories have substance, they can create shared experiences and contribute to meaningful conversations – all of which has an incredible ability to help us see and understand the perspectives of others.
The Stor(ies) of You and Me is also a homecoming performance for Ballet 5:8 Company Artist Summer Smith, who grew up in South Jersey. Smith trained at The Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia and went on to attend The University of the Arts before joining Ballet 5:8 in 2014. Summer is currently dances as a Company Artist and has performed a variety of roles in Slager’s works, including the “Summer” movement in Four Seasons of the Soul.
ABOUT BALLET 5:8 – Founded in 2012, Ballet 5:8 an ambitious 501-(c)-3 nonprofit arts organization. The company strives to create, produce, and perform new works that “celebrate the exchange of ideas in the creative realm.” The result? Breathtaking performances that engage audiences in genuine, meaningful discussion of topics that are relevant in today’s time and culture. Ballet 5:8 performs over 40 times throughout Chicago and across the country each year, in settings ranging from school gyms and professional theaters, in addition to teaching workshops and master classes. Ballet 5:8’s dance education center, Ballet 5:8 School of the Arts, serves over 200 students each year through a wide range of dance classes and a nationally-recognized pre-professional classical ballet training program.
Chicago’s Ballet 5:8 presents
The Stor(ies) of You and Me
April 2, 2017 at 2:00PM
Plays & Players, 1714 Delancey Street, Philadelphia
Information and tickets: https://www.ballet58.org/performances/the-stories-of-you-and-me/2017-philly
