GUS® COMPANY

Audition

Anyone age 4* to 19 years who loves to dance is welcome to audition! Dancers are placed in the appropriate GUS® Company for their skill level and age. GUS® Company Auditions are held annually in May and training begins Summer 2025.

GUS® Company Auditions for Season ‘25/’26 are May 21, 2025 (Pre-K to 5th grade) and May 22, 2025 (6th to 12th grade) . Click here for more information.

*Must be 5yrs by 1/1/26

Perform

GUS® Company dancers perform multiple times during the season including SPOOKTACULAR halloween show, JAZZCRACKER holiday show, THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT and more special performances based on your dancers age including Dance Chicago Shows, THRILLER Performances, Midsommarfest Performance, Television Performances, Dancing For Dancers Show, Chicagoland, School Shows, Benefit Shows, GUS® In-house Shows, Duke It Out Nutcracker Show and more!

Contact us if you have a performance opportunity in the Chicagoland area and would like us to perform.

Train

GUS® Company dancers train in all styles, Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Modern, Tap, Pointe, PBT®, Commercial Jazz and more with an emphasis on technique, style and performance qualities. Company classes are taught by professionals and master teachers. After one or two years of training, GUS® Company dancers grade Pre-K to 5 typically advance to the next company. Training begins Summer 2025 after audition based on dancer’s age, Ex: 1st grade attends one week of GUS® Camp. Older dancers train in Camp and Intensives Summer 2025.

Mentorship

Younger GUS® Companies are mentored by older GUS® Companies. The older Company dancers learn leadership, mentoring skills, flexibility, teamwork, communication and much more. The younger Company dancers aspire to become the leaders they see in the older Company dancers. The bonding they all experience is life changing.

Benefits

GUS® Company dancers achieve academic success as they learn time management, communication, and organizational skills that last a lifetime. Colleges and universities that graduated GUS® Company dancers have attended include Duke University, Fordham University, Northwestern University, Stanford University, U of I, U of W and many more. Every Company dancer learns life skills that will benefit them throughout their life including responsibility, work ethic and teamwork.

Convention

GUS® Companies attend one dance convention per year. It's the perfect opportunity to bond with GUS® Company dancers, take class from Master Teachers and focus on performance skills. Convention is an additional cost.

Outreach

GUS® Company dancers participate in community outreach activities and performances. GUS® Company dancers learn the importance of helping others for the good of everyone. They learn what it is to be a member of a community inside and outside of GUS®.

Parties

GUS® Company dancers celebrate holidays and special events together during the season. Events and parties foster life long friendships with dancers from all over the Chicagoland area.

GUS® Leadership Program

Dancers selected for GUS® LEADERSHIP PROGRAM are taught skills including leadership, mentoring, organization and communication that allow them to flourish in college and beyond in any profession they choose. Dancers are given the opportunity to use the skills that have learned as they progess through the program first as a Jr. Assistant, Assistant, Jr. Teacher In Training, and then if they are qualified they are asked to be a Jr. Teacher which includes teaching opportunities as a paid intern.

“This program was life changing! I gained so much confidence.” ~ Jr. Teacher In Training Graduate
”I became team captain in college because of everything I learned!” ~ Jr. Teacher Graduate
”GUS® Leadership Program gave me the skills I needed and the confidence I needed!” ~ Jr. Teacher Graduate