Dancewerks
Sabala Studios, Dancewerks Studio and Prairie Lakes Theater, 207B W Northwest Highway, Barrington, IL 60010
About
Dancewerks offers a range of dance activities including Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Lyrical, Stretch & Strengthening, Musical Theater, Choreography, and Dance Studio Classes. The Dancewerks National Werkshop includes Master Classes, Competition, a Showcase, Awards, Scholarships, Musical Theater Training, and both National and Regional Werkshops, along with performance opportunities.
• Schedule: The Dancewerks National Werkshop runs as an intensive convention week, with the 2025 National Werkshop scheduled for July 25–27, 2025; the two-day Main Werkshop takes place July 25–26, and the Grand Finale Competition and Dancewerks Showcase take place on July 27, with classes running simultaneously in separate rooms each day and the Performance Showcase concluding by 7:30pm.
Dancewerks was founded in 1984 as Dancewerks Dance Production Company and later became one of the foremost dance entertainment production companies in Chicago. The Dancewerks National Werkshop is in its 13th year of producing dance intensives as of 2026. The organization is led by Director Ellen Werksman and includes instructors with professional, real-life dance experience, as well as guest Master Classes with working professionals in the industry.
Dancewerks states that it is dedicated to the development of the individual aspiring performing artist, using foundations and techniques in the art of dance, and that it works with each artist to define goals, curate their educational experience, and provide real-life experiences in the world of dance. Dancewerks describes itself as a multi-dimensional dance organization that offers training, performance, scholarships, and other experiences in the dance world, including educational and performance opportunities in the arts. The Dancewerks National Werkshop is described as a custom-designed summer camp and convention experience tailored to serious students of dance who wish to deepen their study and train in a focused and motivating atmosphere, with a goal of providing an enriching dance experience and a custom-designed week of activities that can include discounted theater tickets, a waterpark outing, shopping coupons, and more.
Class sizes at Dancewerks and its Werkshops are limited, with fewer than 40 dancers per classroom, and students are placed in levels based on an evaluation class that takes place before the first day of classes; all students must attend this evaluation class. The program notes that there is no parent observation and that no videotaping or pictures of classes or the performance showcase are allowed. The Dancewerks Student of Distinction is chosen each year at the National Werkshop and is featured in Dancewerks public relations and promotions throughout the year. Midwest Dance Collective (MDC) is a semi-professional concert dance company in residence at The Dancewerks Studio.
Dancewerks describes itself as an integral part of local community life, with Ms. Werksman’s Midwest Dance Collective and Dancewerks students donating performances for local charitable organizations in Barrington and Chicago’s Northwest suburbs. For the National Werkshop, there is a designated morning drop-off and evening pick-up time each day, and classes run simultaneously in separate rooms. Class attire guidelines specify leotard and tights with hair in a bun for female dancers, with jazz pants allowed at teacher discretion, and black shorts or jazz pants with a T-shirt for male dancers. Students are asked to bring a sandwich and a water bottle for lunch, while Dancewerks provides fruit snacks, cookies, chips, and water, and out-of-town students who cannot bring a sandwich are provided one.
Last updated May 24, 2026.
• Schedule: The Dancewerks National Werkshop runs as an intensive convention week, with the 2025 National Werkshop scheduled for July 25–27, 2025; the two-day Main Werkshop takes place July 25–26, and the Grand Finale Competition and Dancewerks Showcase take place on July 27, with classes running simultaneously in separate rooms each day and the Performance Showcase concluding by 7:30pm.
Dancewerks was founded in 1984 as Dancewerks Dance Production Company and later became one of the foremost dance entertainment production companies in Chicago. The Dancewerks National Werkshop is in its 13th year of producing dance intensives as of 2026. The organization is led by Director Ellen Werksman and includes instructors with professional, real-life dance experience, as well as guest Master Classes with working professionals in the industry.
Dancewerks states that it is dedicated to the development of the individual aspiring performing artist, using foundations and techniques in the art of dance, and that it works with each artist to define goals, curate their educational experience, and provide real-life experiences in the world of dance. Dancewerks describes itself as a multi-dimensional dance organization that offers training, performance, scholarships, and other experiences in the dance world, including educational and performance opportunities in the arts. The Dancewerks National Werkshop is described as a custom-designed summer camp and convention experience tailored to serious students of dance who wish to deepen their study and train in a focused and motivating atmosphere, with a goal of providing an enriching dance experience and a custom-designed week of activities that can include discounted theater tickets, a waterpark outing, shopping coupons, and more.
Class sizes at Dancewerks and its Werkshops are limited, with fewer than 40 dancers per classroom, and students are placed in levels based on an evaluation class that takes place before the first day of classes; all students must attend this evaluation class. The program notes that there is no parent observation and that no videotaping or pictures of classes or the performance showcase are allowed. The Dancewerks Student of Distinction is chosen each year at the National Werkshop and is featured in Dancewerks public relations and promotions throughout the year. Midwest Dance Collective (MDC) is a semi-professional concert dance company in residence at The Dancewerks Studio.
Dancewerks describes itself as an integral part of local community life, with Ms. Werksman’s Midwest Dance Collective and Dancewerks students donating performances for local charitable organizations in Barrington and Chicago’s Northwest suburbs. For the National Werkshop, there is a designated morning drop-off and evening pick-up time each day, and classes run simultaneously in separate rooms. Class attire guidelines specify leotard and tights with hair in a bun for female dancers, with jazz pants allowed at teacher discretion, and black shorts or jazz pants with a T-shirt for male dancers. Students are asked to bring a sandwich and a water bottle for lunch, while Dancewerks provides fruit snacks, cookies, chips, and water, and out-of-town students who cannot bring a sandwich are provided one.
Last updated May 24, 2026.
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