Ballet 5:8 Celebrates 5th Anniversary of “Beyond the Nutcracker”

November 14, 2019 ORLAND PARK, IL – As the holidays approach, the sounds of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet score are drifting through Ballet 5:8 studios in anticipation of performances this December - for a fifth year in a row. Ballet School of the Arts, the dance education center of professional performing company Ballet 5:8, originally premiered its signature rendition of The Nutcracker in 2015. Since it’s premiere, the ballet has warmed the hearts of thousands of audience members each year thanks to its delightful combination of classic Nutcracker tradition and the joy of the very first Christmas. 

This year, performances will be at Lincoln Way West High School, 21701 Gougar Road, New Lenox, IL on Saturday, December 21 at 2pm and 7pm, and Sunday, December 22 at 3pm. Tickets are $18 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under and can be purchased at ballet58.org or by calling 312-725-4752; seating is reserved. Performance information is at ballet58.org/beyond-the-nutcracker. 

Ballet 5:8’s signature twist on The Nutcracker is set in the 1940’s and follows a young girl named Emma Cooper on Christmas Eve as she wonders whether the story of the first Christmas could be “real” or have any bearing on her life in her present day. Her Uncle Abrams, just back from WWII, and the angel Anastasis help Emma answer her question through a magical journey across the world. According to Ballet 5:8 Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager, “There’s a magic in Tchaikovsky’s score and a sweetness to the journey Emma takes us on that makes this ballet a must see during the holidays. The child-like wonder of the hundreds of students in the cast brings the true meaning of Christmas to life with a joy that is contagious.”

This year Maria and Yosef - roles known as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier in traditional versions of the ballet - will be danced by special guests Ballet 5:8 Lead Artist Brette Benedict, and Jonathan Chapman. Chapman, known for his time performing with Ballet Magnificat!, made his debut as a Ballet 5:8 Guest Artist this November in the professional company’s performance of The Space in Between as part of the Wheaton College Artist Series, attended by 1,100 people. 

Other soloist roles in Beyond the Nutcracker will be performed by members of the Ballet 5:8 Studio Company and guests artists from the college-level Ballet 5:8 Trainee Program. Ballet 5:8 Studio Company member Grace Rohder, 14, of Plainfield, says she enjoys dancing the role of Emma because the character is “shy like me.” Rohder also says, “It has been my dream to dance this role since I was a little girl.” Sophia Snider, 17, of New Lenox, is a Senior at Lincoln Way Central and in her fourth year training and performing with the Ballet 5:8 Studio Company and her fifth Beyond the Nutcracker. She enjoys her role this year of Anastasis because “she is such a joyful character who mysteriously appears during the ballet to help orchestrate the storyline.” Other local young artists in the Studio Company performing this year include Michelle Acke, 15, of Homer Glen, Catherine Lobash, 17, of Mokena, and Evangeline Sernas, 15, of Homewood.

Supporting roles will be performed by 30 local dancers from the Ballet 5:8 School of the Arts Pre-Professional and Ensemble Program, adult community cast members, and 137 Children’s Cast members ranging in age from 5-12. Together Beyond the Nutcracker cast members represent over 35 area communities including Orland Park, Frankfort, Mokena, New Lenox, Tinley Park. Additional cast members from the Studio Company and guest artists from the Trainee Program, ages 18-24, represent 11 U.S. States, having relocated to the area specifically to study and perform with Ballet 5:8.