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Chicago Dancer Survey 2026
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1.
What Dance Company do you or have you worked for during 2026?
If you work for multiple companies, please fill out the survey separately for each company.
(Required.)
Aerial Dance Chicago
Alluvion Dance Chicago
Ardent Dance Company
Ayodele Drum and Dance
Ballet 5:8
BOOM Crack Dance Company
Boykin Dance Project
Bodies of Water
Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre
Chicago Bulls 312 Crew
Chicago Dance Crash
Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble
Chicago Moving Company
Chicago Repertory Ballet
Chicago Tap Theatre
Concert Dance Inc.
Comedy Dance Chicago
Culture Shock Chicago
Dance in the Parks
Dance Colony + Artists
Darvin Dances
Delve Dance Chicago
Deeply Rooted Dance Theater
Desueno Dance
Dropshift Dance
Echo Modern Dance Collective
Ensemble Espanol Spanish Dance Theater
Every House Has a Door
Giordano Dance Chicago
Giordano II
Hail Marys
Hedwig Dances
Honey Pot Performance
Hot Crowd
House of Dov
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago
Identity Performing Arts
Inaside Chicago Dance
Ishti Collective
J Lindsay Brown
Joffrey Ballet
Joel Hall Dancers
Kalapriya Foundation
Khecari
Korean Performing Arts Institute of Chicago
Lawson Dance Theatre
Little Fire Artist Collective
LOUD Bodies
Lucid Banter Project
Lucky Plush Productions
M.A.D.D. Rhythms
Mandela South Asian Performing Arts
Meher Dance Company
Matter Dance Company
Meadows Dance Collective
Modern Marvels Dance Company
Molly Shanahan/Mad Shak
Momenta Dance Company
Moonwater Dance Project
Movementuem Dance Project
Movement Revolution Dance Crew
Natya Dance Theatre
Mandy Milligan Movement Project
Muntu Dance Theatre
Niko8
Noumenon Dance Ensemble
PARA.MAR Dance Theatre
Perpetual Motion INC
Peckish Rhodes Performing Arts Society
Praize Productions INC
Project Bound Dance
Queer Dance Freakout
Red Clay Dance Company
RE I Dance Group
Ruth Page Civic Ballet
Same Planet Performance Project
Scription Dance Theatre
Sildance/Acrodanza
Simantikos Dance Chicago
Solarium Dance Company
South Chicago Dance Theatre
Still Inspired
Such Creatures
Symbosis Arts
Synapse Arts
THWACK Dance
Tango 21 Dance Theater
Red Clay Dance Company
The Human Experience Dance Project
The Space Movement Project
The Seldoms
THE MEXICAN FOLKLORIC DANCE COMPANY OF CHICAGO
The Rooted Space Company
Trifecta Dance Collective
Trinity Irish Dance Company
VADCO
Visceral Dance Chicago
We Are Dance Collective
Winifred Haun and Dancers
Yin He Dance
Zephyr Dance
773 Dance Project
Other (please specify)
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2.
Which of the following best describes your role in the company? Choose all that apply
(Required.)
Associate Artist (another word for apprentice)
Trainee (dancer is a pre professional receiving training while dancing with the company - usually pays tuition)
Dancer
Ensemble Dancer
Principal Dancer (in ranked company, this is the highest position for a dancer)
Rehearsal Director
2nd company dancer (dances in the 2nd company rather than main company)
Apprentice
Dance Intern
Guest Artist/Dancer
Understudy
Assistant Artistic Director
Soloist
Corps De Ballet (in a ranked company, this is usually the starting position)
Other (please specify)
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3.
Are you designated as an employee or an independent contractor? An employee fills out a W2 and has taxes withheld from their paycheck.
An independent contractor typically does not have taxes withheld and receives a 1099 from the IRS. They will have to pay additional taxes on their income
(Required.)
Employee
Independent contractor
I don't know
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4.
Are you paid an hourly wage? (e.g. you rehearsed 7 hours a week and were paid $15/hr versus a stipend where you're given a lump sum)
(Required.)
Yes
No
5.
If yes, how much are you paid per hour?
$15
$16
$17
$17.05
$17.50
$18
$18.50
$19
$20
$21
$22
$23
$24
$25
$26
$27
$28
$29
$30
$35+
Other (please specify)
6.
How often are you paid if making an hourly wage?
Once a week
Once every two weeks
Once every three weeks
Once a month
Once every two months
Other (please specify)
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7.
Are you paid a rehearsal stipend as a dancer for the company? (e.g. the company gives you a given a fixed, lump sum rehearsal stipend for the entire rehearsal period)
(Required.)
Yes
No
8.
If the answer was yes to the question above (if you are paid a rehearsal stipend), how much is the typical stipend in 2026? Please use numbers only to answer.
9.
How often are you paid your rehearsal stipend?
Once a week
Once every two weeks
Once every three weeks
Once a month
Once every two months
Once every 6 months
Once a year
Other (please specify)
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10.
Are you paid a performance stipend? (ie a predetermined lump sum that the company pays you per performance)?
(Required.)
Yes
No
11.
If yes to the question above, what was the typical stipend amount for a performance? Please use numbers only
$25
$35
$50
$60
$75
$100
$150
$175
$200
$250
$300
$400
$500
$600
Other (please specify)
12.
How often are you paid your performance stipend?
The day after the performance
A week after the performance
A month after the performance
6 months after the performance
Before the performance
Included in my regular paycheck
Other (please specify)
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13.
Are you paid a flat weekly stipend (for example a company may pay dancers $100 a week not based on hours worked)
(Required.)
Yes
No
14.
If yes, how much is the weekly stipend? Please use numbers only for your answer
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15.
Are you paid based on ticket sales? (an amount that the company pays you based on a percentage of ticket sales)
(Required.)
Yes
No
16.
If yes to the question above, how much are you typically paid based on ticket sales? Please use number only or a range formatted like this "$100 - $150 per performance"
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17.
Are you paid with a salary? Definition: "Salaries refer to a fixed amount of money that is paid to an employee regardless of the number of hours worked each week"
(Required.)
Yes
No
18.
If so, what is your annual salary?
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19.
What benefits do you receive? Choose all that apply
(Required.)
Free Company Class
Paid to take class (for example if you're paid hourly and the company pays you during the time you're taking company class)
Unlimited Free Classes at the Studio (for example if the company is connected to a studio and you are able to take any class at the studio for free)
Free PT sessions
Health Insurance
Paid Sick Leave (specifically reserved for illnesses and/or injuries)
Paid Time Off (this can be applicable to vacations or being sick)
Workers Comp (Workers' compensation is insurance that provides cash benefits and/or medical care for workers who are injured or become ill as a direct result of their job)
Opportunities to choreograph on the company
Paid Opportunities to choreograph on the company
Free Rehearsal Space
Retirement funds (ie 401k)
Teaching Opportunities
Paid teaching opportunities
Per Diem for Performances (money given for travel expenses like food)
Pointe Shoes
Childcare
Free Headshots
Free Dance Photography
Professional Development
Other (please specify)
None of the above
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20.
How many hours a week do you dance with this company?
(Required.)
1 - 3
4 - 7
8 - 12
13 - 17
18 - 25
26 - 29
30 - 40
Other (please specify)
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21.
How many years have you worked for this company?
(Required.)
Under a year
1 year
2 years
3 years
4 years
5 - 7 years
7 - 10 years
10+ years
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22.
Were you ever an apprentice, intern, trainee, or 2nd company dancer with this company?
(Required.)
Yes
No
23.
If so, how many years did it take for you to become a full company member?
Under a year
1 year
2 years
3 years
Other (please specify)
24.
How many years have you been dancing professionally?
Under a year
1 - 3 years
3 - 6 years
7+ years
Other (please specify)
25.
How many companies do you currently work for?
1
2
3
4
5 or more
26.
Did you fill out the pay transparency survey in 2023 and/or 2024?
Yes, I filled out the survey for 2023
Yes, I filled out the survey for 2024
Yes, I filled out the survey in both 2023 + 2024
No
27.
What other jobs do you hold in this company in addition to being a dancer for them? This could be teaching company class or teaching for their school, choreographing for the company, running their social media, helping with administration, etc.
28.
Do you also work for independent choreographers and/or do freelance dance work?
Yes
No
Maybe
Other (please specify)
29.
If yes, how much are you paid per freelance project?
30.
What outside jobs do you hold besides dancing professionally? This could be teaching at a dance studio, choreographing, social media, administration, dog walking, sales, service industry, etc.