Ballet 5:8 is thrilled to announce its selection as a 2025–26 NEA Big Read grant recipient, awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. The grant supports a citywide celebration of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, culminating in a new ballet adaptation premiering in May 2026.
The program begins with a free, bilingual public kickoff event on Saturday, September 13, 2025, from 2:00–4:00 p.m. at the Lozano Branch Library (1805 S. Loomis St.) in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. The event will feature live dance, hands-on art stations, bilingual storytelling, book giveaways, and community dialogue.
“We’re not just adapting a book—we’re inviting people to see themselves in art,” says Ballet 5:8 Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager, a Chicana choreographer and 2023 Chicago Dancemaker’s Forum finalist. “Sandra Cisneros gave Esperanza a voice that echoes across generations. This program gives that voice new life through movement, story, and shared experience.”
Ballet 5:8 is one of only a few performing arts organizations in the country selected to lead an NEA Big Read—and the only ballet company to anchor the initiative with a full-length original performance. The grant will support bilingual programming across Chicago’s South and West Sides, including school workshops, library events, and a site-specific America 250 lobby installation honoring Cisneros’s legacy.
NEA Big Read Kickoff Event
Date: Saturday, September 13, 2025
Time: 2:00–4:00 p.m.
Location: Lozano Branch Library, 1805 S. Loomis St., Chicago, IL
Cost: Free and open to the public
Activities: Live dance performance, book giveaways, bilingual storytelling, family-friendly art stations
Coming Spring 2026: The House on Mango Street Ballet
Performance Dates: Friday & Saturday, May 8–9, 2026
Location: Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St., Chicago
Tickets: Pay What You Can
Details: Full-length ballet adaptation choreographed by Julianna Rubio Slager, performed by Ballet 5:8’s all-female Second Company. Includes lobby installation honoring The House on Mango Street as part of the America 250 initiative.
More details, including ticket reservations and full event calendar, will be available at: www.ballet58.org/mango-street
About Ballet 5:8
Ballet 5:8 is a Chicago-based professional ballet company led by Mexican American choreographer Julianna Rubio Slager. Known for original, story-driven works that speak to today’s most pressing issues, the company has been featured in Dance Magazine, WGN, ABC, NBC, and Modern Luxury. A resident company of the Harris Theater, Ballet 5:8 is committed to making ballet more human, more diverse, and more redemptive.