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Generations Of
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Annette & Co. brings joy to students of all ages who want to dance.
Annette & Co. owners Annette Bergasse and son Mark Bergasse
A A
Mark instructs a class of young dancers.
before moving to New York to make his
hile many dance studios tend to
come and go, Annette & Co. on
career in dance.
Orchard Lake Road in Farmington
"What sets us apart is that Annette &
Hills has been a mainstay in the community
Co. is a family-oriented style of business,"
for 35 years.
Mark says. "There's a cooperative effort
What started with dance classes for
between my mother and myself — a push
adults in Annette Bergasse's Oak Park
and pull — that creates a good chemistry.
basement 37 years ago has blossomed into
The mother-son dynamic is something you
a premiere Metro Detroit dance studio
don't find at other studios. And we have
that educates students of all ages in the
Josh as a sounding board. He gives us a
joy, fundamentals and disciplines of dance
fresh point of view on our ideas."
for pleasure and beyond. Some Annette &
After success as a professional dancer
Co. students have gone on to study at the
on Broadway and in national touring
Juilliard School in New York and perform
companies, Josh became a choreographer
on and off Broadway, in national touring
who last fall won an Emmy for
companies, in Hollywood, on cruise lines
choreography of the NBC series Smash. He
and more.
also teaches at the Broadway Dance Center
The studio is celebrating its 35th
and is providing original choreography
anniversary this year, and is offering
for a revival of On the Town to open on
enrollment savings of 35 percent off to
Broadway this fall.
new preschool and beginning students for
"Mom treats every one of her students
like they are her own children," Josh
a full range of dance classes.
"Now I'm teaching my students'
says. "She takes pride in her students'
grandchildren," Annette Bergasse says.
accomplishments and is willing to walk
"There's a sense of continuity. I credit our
them through all aspects of their life.
longevity not only to how we treat and
I've heard them say, 'I want to live up
teach students, but also to being on the
to Annette's expectations of me.' She
cutting edge and adapting to new dance
taught me to be myself no matter what,
styles."
remember who I am and where I came
For example, when the studio first
from, and above all, she has taught me
started, there were no hip hop
classes. Hip hop was happening
on MTV about 18 years ago,
but no one was teaching it. Her
sons, Josh and Mark, who both
started dancing in their basement
and then taught at the studio,
developed a syllabus for warm-
ups, progression of movement
and exercises to teach children
how to be successful at it.
"We started it here; now
everyone is doing it," Annette
says. "Our vision was to turn it
into a classroom structure before
there was an educational format."
The fact that Annette's sons
participate in the business also
sets her apart from other dance
studios. Son Mark Bergasse runs
the studio and teaches. Son Josh
The studio has been in this Orchard Lake location for seven years.
Bergasse used to teach there
how to be the best me."
Another unique aspect to Annette &
Co. is that the Bergasses give back to the
community every five years through a gala
fundraising performance.
"Alums of the studio and professionals
come back for the gala, and we always give
to charities that involve children," Annette
says. The 30th anniversary gala raised
$18,000. Organizations that have benefited
include Juvenile Diabetes, Pediatric AIDS
and Children's Hospital of Michigan.
Additionally, they earmark about $10,000
each year for student scholarships based
on growth, hard work and excellence.
Continuity In Teaching
Annette & Co. offers a comprehensive
range of dance classes, including classical
ballet, hip-hop, jazz, modern, tap,
contemporary and acrobatics/gymnastics
for hundreds of students each week. Class
sizes vary, and there are four studios to
accommodate them. There are eight full-
time instructors, all with some professional
experience.
"Three of the top teachers started
dancing at age 5 with me," Annette says
proudly. "There is a progression to our
instruction. We know what a beginning
Mark gives individual instruction.
teacher is teaching so second-year teachers
know what has been learned and can build
on that foundation."
Among Annette & Co.'s nearly
900 students, some opt to enter the
competition companies for jazz, tap and
hip hop at the junior or senior levels.
These students compete with studios in
a five-state region. If they win, they go to
nationals.
"Last season we were enormously
successful, winning nearly all first places,"
Annette says. "But the studio is set up so
recreational dancers can find as much joy
and camaraderie as the serious students
who want to do more."
Annette teaches advanced tap, jazz and
lyrical dance classes. At 67, the still-slim
dancer jokes she has fun while she's doing
it — and then collapses. The daughter of
the Renee and the late Joseph Winkler,
Holocaust survivors, Annette was born
in a Displaced Persons camp in southern
Italy. When the family moved to Detroit,
Annette says she would put on her
mother's apron, turn up the radio and
dance all day.
"I told them I wanted to be a dancer,"
she says. "When I was 7, they scraped
together money for one class a week. I
was always passionate about
it, worked hard and had ability.
I asked to be an apprentice.
I didn't earn money, but
lessons."
She went on to move to
New York to dance and act off-
Broadway and on tours. At 4
feet-11.5 inches, jobs were not
as plentiful then.
"But I am still doing
something I love and instilling
my love of dance in my
students," she says. "The
hallmark of our studio is
passion. I won't hire a teacher
who can't show their love
of dance to students, that
emotionalism you communicate
to an audience. Without that,
dance is hollow."
August 28 • 2014
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