Choreographer | Artistic Director | Cultural Bridge-Builder

Julianna Rubio Slager is a rare voice in today’s arts landscape: a Chicana choreographer shaping the national conversation around faith, creativity, and cultural identity—without losing the human warmth and grounded insight that make her deeply relatable.

As the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Ballet 5:8, Julianna leads one of the country’s fastest-growing ballet companies, known for its bold storytelling and boundary-pushing works like La Llorona, The Caged Bird Sings, and The House on Mango Street Ballet. Her work lives at the intersection of tradition and innovation, offering a perspective shaped by both classical rigor and personal lived experience. Julianna can be booked for live speaking engagements as well as radio shows, television programs and podcasts.

Topics Julianna Speaks On:

  • Living Between Worlds
    Navigating life as a Latina in elite spaces, honoring your heritage while forging your own path.

  • Women, Art, and Calling
    What it means to lead, create, and mother in a world that often asks women to choose just one.

  • Art as Bridge
    Using movement to cross cultural, spiritual, and generational divides.

  • Faith and Art in the Public Square
    Reclaiming sacred themes in contemporary art without compromise or cliché.

  • Creating with Conviction
    The spiritual and emotional formation of artists—and how to stay soft while leading with strength.

Why Julianna?

Julianna speaks from the heart—but with a deep well of experience. She’s directed hundreds of performances, led national tours, and been featured on NPR, Latino Voices, Chicago Magazine and many other national outlets. Her talks are raw, thoughtful, and filled with hard-won wisdom—delivered with the same clarity and artistry she brings to the stage.

Ideal for:

  • Conferences (faith, leadership, dance, Latina/x empowerment)

  • University guest lectures and panels

  • Women’s events and retreats

  • Performing arts conferences

  • Community and cultural forums

  • Churches and spiritual leadership gatherings

What Attendees Are Saying:

“Julianna doesn’t just speak—she connects. She brings courage, vulnerability, and a clear challenge to think more deeply about art, identity, and purpose.”

“We left inspired and grounded—more honest with ourselves, and more hopeful about what’s possible.”

”Julianna’s joy and passion are clearly felt and articulated when she speaks. She has a rare gift for clarity and storytelling that allow us to be swept up with her to learn about where the arts are headed and what we can do to propel them forward.”

A woman with curly dark hair standing on stage in front of green curtains, holding a microphone and appearing to sing or speak.
Six women sitting in a row on a stage with a green curtain backdrop, one woman in the center speaking into a microphone, wearing a dress with a floral skirt and a floral headband.