Ballet 5:8 presents "Of Light and Shadow" at Harris Theater

Ballet 5:8 presented an evening of luminous talent and poignant works with Of Light and Shadow, April 26, at the Harris Theater. A resident company at the Harris, Ballet 5:8’s mission is to combine a Christian faith background and storytelling to create dance works that spark conversations and speak to the soul. Each work of the evening deeply aligned with this mission as it took the audience on a search for light in the darkness. The performance featured a world premiere, two new works and an audience favorite to celebrate the 11-year career of lead artist Lorianne Robertson, who took her final bow with the company. 

The world premiere of “Celestia,” choreographed by artistic director and resident choreographer Julianna Rubio Slager, draws inspiration from the stars and cosmos. There was a sense of classical grandeur—duets, soloists, and a corps de ballet, each group equally exquisite. Female dancers soared into impressive lifts, displaying a great trust and connection with their male counterparts. This sense of elegance was echoed by the soloists, each of whom danced with a beautiful blend of power and grace, and with such an open presence to the audience. Some of the most memorable moments were those of quiet suspension, such as when the corps de ballet gathered together and looked to the sky, moving in smooth coordination like stars in a constellation. 

Guest choreographer Seyong Kim’s “Corinthians 13:13” (2025) references the Bible verse: “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” This work featured a pianist on stage to accompany a duet performed by Elizabeth Marlin and Samuel Opsal. Opsal began with troubled, staccato gestures, and Marlin joined him, acting distressed and wilting. They both had an aching, expressive quality to their dancing and the choreography had interesting glimmers of raw humanity, such as when Marlin rested her head in despair on Opsal’s shoulder. Although they reached out to each other, at first their touches weren’t reciprocated, but slowly the couple connected and spiraled into a peaceful conclusion of unity. 

…Chinn’s performance is enough proof of the joy of her discovery.

The audience was transported into the world of “The Cave” (2025), choreographed by Slager. The work explored Plato’s allegory of The Cave, in which people confined to a cave believe shadows on the wall to be reality. The work opened on a desolate cave with dancers crouched behind boxes and scaffolding that created a modern take on rocky terrain. More creature than human and bald presumably from the lack of light, the dancers writhed, crawled and danced in grotesque hunched shapes. A small crack of light shined from a corner of the cave and while most were afraid of it, one dancer, Natalie Chinn, became curious. Despite being held back from the light and ostracized from the group, when the rest of the dancers fled the brilliance of the light, Chinn followed it to the cave’s edge. A projection of a grassy cave’s edge clued the audience in to the beauty that is just beyond the cave, but it’s not needed as Chinn’s performance is enough proof of the joy of her discovery. Chinn gives an emotional performance as she tentatively reaches out into the light, and then slowly steps into the sun. But once she returns to the cave, the others, limited to the cave, cannot believe the truth of the outside world and turn on Chinn with violence. The work is a powerful depiction of the pursuit of truth despite its price. 

The evening concluded with “The Space In Between” (2018) with lead artist Lorianne Robertson performing the lead role in her final performance. Choreographed by Slager, the work depicted C.S. Lewis’ novel “The Great Divorce’,” which follows the narrator’s journey through the eternal afterlife from the shadowy “Gray Town” to Heaven. After an earthly farewell, the narrator, Robertson, finds herself in Gray Town. Here there are no fiery gates of Hell but a rainy city where a voice echoes “me, myself, yes”, and dwellers receive their every desire, but no one is happy. The people argue with each other, sulk under umbrellas and dance with harsh arrogance. Eventually, Robertson boards a bus which takes her closer to Heaven. Here on a high cliff, the dancers were unsteady on their feet, trembling and wobbly. As Robertson traveled closer and closer to Heaven, guided by angelic spirits, she encountered various characters who wrestled with the things they would have to leave behind in order to reach Heaven, such as shame or lust. At times the dancers seemed too weak to travel farther, unable to abandon their vices or even pick up their feet. Near the end, Robertson danced on a stage divided between the golden light of Heaven and the gloom of Gray Town. As she finally entered Heaven, Robertson gave a stunning final performance with a beautiful sense of hope and humanity. 

Ballet 5:8 presented Of Light and Shadow Saturday, April 26, 7:30pm at the Harris Theater Millennium Park, 205 East Randolph. For more information visit https://www.ballet58.org.