BROWNSBURG —
Westside natives Annah Emmert and Terri Anderson have recently moved their business, Sister Act Dance Academy, to Brownsburg.
The sisters, who both attended Speedway schools, each say they would never have opened the business without the other.
“I just can’t imagine doing this without my sister,” Anderson said. “We both finished school and went to college. Then we started the business in Camby.”
The dance studio was doing well in Camby, but it was quite a drive for Emmert, who lives in Jamestown. Anderson lives on the southwest side of Indianapolis and Brownsburg seemed to be a better fit.
They are both married mothers and wanted to have more time at home and less on the road.
“I was driving 45 minutes to work and I have a 2-year-old,” Emmert said. “So when our last class wouldn’t get done until 8 p.m., I would get home late after clean up.”
The Brownsburg community has welcomed the Sister Act Dance Academy.
“We were in the Fourth of July parade,” Anderson said. “We’re offering recreation classes but would really like to find students who are interested in being in our dance company. We want to have students who are dedicated and want to compete.”
Both women started dancing at a young age. Anderson was 3 and Emmert was 4.
“We eat, drink, and live this place,” Emmert said. “That’s how we want it, because we really want it to succeed.”
Anderson, 28, and Emmert, 23, are the daughters of Nancy Rougeau and Michael Wurz. They also have an older sister, Renda White.
The academy offers a basic movement class for children ages 2 to 3. There is also a class that gives the basics of jazz, tap, ballet, hip hop, contemporary, and tumbling.
“We are also thinking about adding a class for musical theater,” Emmert said.
They said they both enjoy performance.
“Being on stage and being able to express yourself through dance is great,” Anderson said. “As a teacher, the best part is when a student really gets it. You see that and it’s so exciting.”
After graduating from Speedway High School, Anderson went on to become a Marian College cheerleader. She studied at the Jordan Performing Arts at Butler University and at the Indianapolis Ballet Theater. She has been a competitive dancer at the regional and national level.
Anderson and her husband, Joel, have to children, Stella and Sophia,
Emmert first competed in dance at age 5. She began cheering at 11 and was the varsity captain her senior year at SHS. She was also a member of the cheer team at Marian College.
She has performed in several musicals including “Cinderella,” “Grease” as Cha Cha Degregorio, “Annie” as Molly at Footlights Musicals, and “A Christ Spectacular” at Beef & Boards Dinner Theater.
She and her husband, David, have a daughter named Mia.
Sister Act Dance Academy is currently in its summer session.
They will be hosting an open house from 2 to 6 p.m. Aug. 18 and 19 for students who want to sign up for the fall session, which begins Aug. 13.
Sister Act Dance Academy can be found on Facebook and the website will soon be up and running at www.sisteractdance.com. For more information, call 771-0818 or (765) 894-9288.
brenda.holmes@flyergroup.com
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