Students from WY range from basketball stars to mathletes to expert debaters and everything in between. One type of student that doesn’t always get the credit they deserve is the dancer. WY’s dance department has over 200 students. Each student works hard to advance another level for the next year. The highest level of dance class is Dance Performance I or in other words, Guys and Dolls.

Guys and Dolls is Whitney Young’s very own dance company run by Jeanette Gordon. This company performs at our school events such as pep rallies, basketball games, and open house as well as dance competitions around the city.

Around the school, most students know Guys and Dolls for their annual dance showcase. This show is usually in the winter and performed in our school theater. There is an immense amount of work that each student in Guys and Dolls has to put out in order to make that show a success. Morgan Forney ‘17 adds, “I’m new to the team so I’m excited to experience the process of putting the show together!” Most pieces in the show are student choreographed by the dancers in Guys and Dolls.

The company also gets the pleasure of taking master classes and getting guest choreographers for company wide pieces. These professional classes and pieces add to the prestige of the Guys and Dolls dance company. A lot of the girls originally wanted to join the team because of the amazing reputation that the company maintains. Sydney Schwartz ‘17 remembers wanting to be in this company because “GnD has always proven to have the most talented performers and I wanted to be a part of that.” Many of the dancers that started on Guys and Dolls have gone on to continues their dance careers either in college or with traveling companies. Ms. Gordon adds, “I always wish the best for my students and want to help them in any way that I can either for now or in the future.”

Any student can support the Guys and Dolls dance company by attending their upcoming show on January 13th or other competitions, participating in their school wide fundraisers like Dance-A-Day, or attending the Colorfest hosted by Guys and Dolls.