Featuring a World-Class Duet by Acclaimed
Choreographer Kevin Jenkins
Friday, July 25, 2025, | 7:00 PM
Lincoln-Way East Performing Arts Center
201 Colorado Avenue, Frankfort, IL
Tickets: $25–$35 | Available at www.ballet58.org
Ballet 5:8 presents The Future is Now, a one-night-only performance that fuses bold new choreography, rising talent, and the power of professional artistry. On stage Friday, July 25 at 7:00 PM, this annual showcase features Ballet 5:8’s professional artists performing alongside students from its 2025 Summer Intensive—drawing audiences into a hopeful, dynamic vision of ballet’s next generation.
This year’s centerpiece is a stunning duet by nationally acclaimed choreographer Kevin Jenkins, performed by company artists Christian English and Natalie Chinn. Known for his sweeping musicality and deeply human movement language, Jenkins has created work for leading companies including State Street Ballet, Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami, Ballet Arkansas, and Ballet Austin. His work has been commissioned by more than 30 professional and pre-professional companies, and he currently serves on faculty at Steps on Broadway in New York City.
“Kevin Jenkins is a master of creating movement that connects viscerally with the audience,” said Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager. “This duet is a perfect example of how beauty and vulnerability can share the same space.”
Additional Repertoire Highlights:
The evening’s program is anchored by several standout works that exemplify Ballet 5:8’s commitment to innovation, storytelling, and the elevation of new voices in dance:
● Celestia III – A radiant and expansive ballet featuring three principal couples and a corps of advanced dancers, Celestia III explores beauty and wonder through sweeping, ethereal movement. It’s a visual and emotional highlight of the evening.
This 17-minute contemporary epic, led by company artists Samuel Opsal and Ellington Nichols, dives deep into themes of captivity and inner rebellion. Set to a driving score, 4501 showcases athleticism, urgency, and raw theatricality.
The Sea is Flat – Performed by Ballet 5:8’s all-female Second Company, this evocative ensemble piece balances restraint and freedom, echoing the quiet strength and mystery of water and womanhood.
Choreographic Intensive Showcases – Audiences will also experience three world premieres created by emerging choreographers from Ballet 5:8’s Choreographic Intensive. These bold new works offer fresh perspectives and are a testament to the next generation of creative leaders shaping the future of ballet.
This performance invites audiences of all ages to witness the artistry of tomorrow. With ticket prices at just $25–$35, The Future is Now offers an inspiring and accessible way to experience the vitality of contemporary ballet.
