Ballet 5:8, the only professional performing company in residence in the south suburbs of Chicago, was featured during IWU’s Hispanic Heritage Month activities this September. Ballet 5:8—whose work centers on important cultural and social issues, and views these issues through a lens of faith—was brought to campus through the sponsorship of Indiana Wesleyan University’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
According to Dr. Ruben A. Rubio II, co-chair of IWU’s Latin Task Force and assistant professor of education in the IWU-National and Global School of Educational Leadership, “Ballet 5:8's work brings a twist to what you'd expect from classical ballet. Their faith, and the joy and gratitude for the incredible gift of salvation, drives their passion for the arts, for dance, and for the unique atmosphere they maintain at Ballet 5:8. Embedded within the name of the company is a reference to a scripture verse, Romans 5:8, that is the starting point and motivation for everything that they do.”
Julianna Rubio Slager, Ballet 5:8’s artistic director and the oldest daughter of Ruben and his wife, Kathleen, is a groundbreaking figure within the ballet field as one of the few Mexican-American artistic directors and resident choreographers of professional ballet companies in the world. Rubio-Slager hopes that her leadership and creative work at Ballet 5:8 will pave the way for other women and people of color in professional ballet.
Ballet 5:8 performed several pieces including “Mi Familia”, a beautiful fusion of Mexican Folklórico and ballet that is a tribute to Rubio-Slager's heritage; “4501” which follows the journey of Alfredo Garcia through fear and rebellion, to finally hope and redemption in the loneliest place on earth—the American prison system; and “Meditations”, which captures C.S. Lewis’ essay on the paradigm shift of faith. Other events occurring throughout Hispanic Heritage Month included Hispanic chapel speakers, faculty panel discussions and lectures, and free salsa lessons.
IWU’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion sponsors multiple events throughout the year, and is currently preparing for the Diversity Leadership Summit October 23rd – 24th that will feature special guest Dr. Damon A. Williams, chief catalyst at the Center for Strategic Diversity Leadership and Social Innovation and senior scholar & innovation fellow at Wisconsin’s Equity & Inclusion (Wei) Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For more information on these and other events, visit indwes.edu/about/diversity.