Dancewerks National Werkshop
Sabala Studios, Dancewerks Studio and Prairie Lakes Theater, 207B W Northwest Highway, Barrington, IL 60010
About
Dancewerks National Werkshop is an intensive convention week that includes a Two-Day Main Werkshop, a Grand Finale Dance Competition, a Performance Showcase, competition events, a showcase, awards, and scholarships. Dancers take Master Classes with expert instructors and guest working professionals in ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, lyrical, stretch and strengthening, musical theater, choreography, and performance. The program also offers a waterpark adventure and shopping as part of its activities.
• Schedule: National Werkshop runs July 25–27, 2025, with the Two-Day Main Werkshop on July 25–26 and the Grand Finale Competition and Dancewerks Showcase on July 27; the Performance Showcase concludes by 7:30pm, and class schedules and camp details are emailed two weeks prior to camp.
Dancewerks National Werkshop features Master Classes taught by instructors with professional, real-life dance experience. The program is led by Director Ellen Werksman. Dancewerks Dance Production Company was founded in 1984, and the Dancewerks National Werkshop is in its 13th year of producing dance intensives. Students are placed in class levels based on an evaluation class that takes place before the first day of classes, and all students must attend this evaluation for placement. Classes and Werkshops have limited class sizes, with fewer than 40 dancers per classroom, and the program emphasizes hands-on correction and personal classroom attention under the motto “Real Dance, Taught by Real Dancers.”
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 works with each artist to define goals, curate their educational experience, and provide real-life experiences in the dance world. The program describes itself as a custom-designed summer convention experience tailored to serious students who wish to deepen their study in a focused and motivating atmosphere, and it notes a personal touch with a week of activities that can include discounted theater tickets, a waterpark adventure, shopping coupons, and more. Each year, The Dancewerks Student of Distinction is chosen at The National and is featured in Dancewerks public relations and promotions throughout the year. Dancewerks describes itself as a multi-dimensional dance organization that offers passionate and committed students training, performance, scholarships, and unique experiences in the dance world, as well as educational and performance opportunities in the arts.
Class attire guidelines specify leotard and tights with hair in a bun for female dancers, with jazz pants allowed at the teacher’s 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 will have one provided. The program does not allow parent observation, videotaping, or pictures of classes or the Performance Showcase. For families flying in for the week, the program highly recommends reserving a rental car due to limited public transportation in Barrington. Dancewerks also notes that it unites the dance community through collaborative outreach, educational and community forums, and networking forums, and that students from Ms. Werksman’s Midwest Dance Collective and Dancewerks often donate performances to local charitable organizations in Barrington and Chicago’s Northwest suburbs.
Last updated January 11, 2026.
• Schedule: National Werkshop runs July 25–27, 2025, with the Two-Day Main Werkshop on July 25–26 and the Grand Finale Competition and Dancewerks Showcase on July 27; the Performance Showcase concludes by 7:30pm, and class schedules and camp details are emailed two weeks prior to camp.
Dancewerks National Werkshop features Master Classes taught by instructors with professional, real-life dance experience. The program is led by Director Ellen Werksman. Dancewerks Dance Production Company was founded in 1984, and the Dancewerks National Werkshop is in its 13th year of producing dance intensives. Students are placed in class levels based on an evaluation class that takes place before the first day of classes, and all students must attend this evaluation for placement. Classes and Werkshops have limited class sizes, with fewer than 40 dancers per classroom, and the program emphasizes hands-on correction and personal classroom attention under the motto “Real Dance, Taught by Real Dancers.”
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 works with each artist to define goals, curate their educational experience, and provide real-life experiences in the dance world. The program describes itself as a custom-designed summer convention experience tailored to serious students who wish to deepen their study in a focused and motivating atmosphere, and it notes a personal touch with a week of activities that can include discounted theater tickets, a waterpark adventure, shopping coupons, and more. Each year, The Dancewerks Student of Distinction is chosen at The National and is featured in Dancewerks public relations and promotions throughout the year. Dancewerks describes itself as a multi-dimensional dance organization that offers passionate and committed students training, performance, scholarships, and unique experiences in the dance world, as well as educational and performance opportunities in the arts.
Class attire guidelines specify leotard and tights with hair in a bun for female dancers, with jazz pants allowed at the teacher’s 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 will have one provided. The program does not allow parent observation, videotaping, or pictures of classes or the Performance Showcase. For families flying in for the week, the program highly recommends reserving a rental car due to limited public transportation in Barrington. Dancewerks also notes that it unites the dance community through collaborative outreach, educational and community forums, and networking forums, and that students from Ms. Werksman’s Midwest Dance Collective and Dancewerks often donate performances to local charitable organizations in Barrington and Chicago’s Northwest suburbs.
Last updated January 11, 2026.
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