La Llorona at The Center for Performing Arts

Ballet 5:8, Chicago’s premiere female and minority-led ballet company, presents its critically acclaimed production La Llorona. This powerful performance reframes the legend of "La Llorona" through a deeply human lens—illuminating the often-overlooked struggles of postpartum depression and maternal mental health.

Rooted in the Mexican folktale of Maria—a grieving mother doomed to wander in sorrow—La Llorona reimagines the myth with empathy and cultural insight. 

Choreographer Julianna Rubio Slager, a Mexican American artist and mother of three, draws from her own lived experience to ask: What if Maria had received help? What if her pain had been understood instead of condemned?

“Maria is not a ghost story to me—she’s a woman under pressure,” says Slager. “This ballet gives her back her voice. It gives all of us language for something that’s too often buried in silence.”

This one-afternoon-only performance is followed by an optional talkback panel featuring artists and mental health professionals, offering space for reflection and dialogue. 

The event is part of a broader community engagement initiative with Latina women’s groups, postpartum health advocates, university departments, and cultural organizations throughout the south suburbs.

Featuring a special performance by Mariachi Mexico Vivo.