Eagles Cheerleader Alum Selected for Tour with Tyrese
Dancer Paige Annette, another MPS success story
Geraud Blanks
JS Online
February 24, 2012
Dancer Paige Annette has devoted a large portion of her life to dance. She’s spent countless hours honing her craft and learning steps and routines in order to be ready to perform at a moment’s notice. So when she got a call from her agent last month to audition for R&B star Tyrese’s upcoming tour, she was ready,
Nearly 100 women were invited to the LA auditions; Tyrese handpicking the dancers. The fact that Annette had been chosen to audition was a victory in itself, and when her agent informed her that she was invited back for a 2nd call, she was honored and determined.
“I was confident but also very nervous,” said Annette. “I knew what a big opportunity this would be and I also knew how amazing it was to be called back out of so many dancers.”
But nothing, not all of those years of sweat and agonizing hard work had prepared her for what would happen next.
“When he told me I did not believe him,” said Annette about her reaction after Tyrese announced his final decision. “He said congratulations ladies, you’ll be going on tour with me.”
Milwaukee’s Own
One of only two dancers chosen to accompany Tyrese on tour, Annette was fulfilling a lifelong dream that started in grade school but flourished at local performing arts school, Milwaukee High School of the Arts (MHSA). An athletic child, Annette has always been into physical activity but there was something that drew her to dancing over everything else.
“My mom put me in dance when I was little, I had a lot of energy,” she said. “What she put me in stuck with me for the rest of my life. Even if I was involved in sports dancing always came first.”
Annette says she began dancing professionally her freshman year of High School as a part of Signature Contemporary Dance Company, where she was a principal dancer.
“After school I would rehearse with the company,” she recalls. There were shows out of town; you could say I got a small taste of the life of a touring dancer at this time.”
Annette credits the discipline she learned and intense training she received while a student at MHSA—aside from her mother and her own ambition—as the driving force in her success.
“High School of the Arts prepared me in many ways for my career,” she said. “In school, we had a different technique class every day, so even though you might prefer a specific style of dance, learning different styles trains you to become a versatile dancer.”
“If you’re lucky enough, you will find a mentor who will help you know what kind of dancer you want to be. I was definitely fortunate to have found a mentor in Sandra Jordan, who helped me to find my dance direction by my senior year.”
Only the beginning
After graduating from MHSA in 2002, Annette attended Columbia College of Chicago to further pursue her passion. She later transferred to University of the Arts in Philadelphia where she graduated from in 2006 with a BFA in Dance.
Paige was an Eagles Cheerleader from 2005 to 2007
Now a resident of Las Vegas, Annette has lived in Sin City for four years working as a full time dancer, making the trek to LA whenever there is an audition or an opportunity to be had. But her last audition was a month ago, these days she’s busy catching flights and getting ready for the next gig.
Annette’s first stop as a part of Tyrese’s show was on February 10, in Dallas. She says she rehearsed with the singer/film actor for four or five days before taking the stage for their first performance.
Annette will accompany Tyrese for spot dates in Houston, Memphis, New York and Las Vegas before picking up yet-to-be-confirmed tour dates throughout March and April.
“One of my dreams has been to dance in a show like this,” says Annette. “I’m excited beyond belief about this opportunity to work with Tyrese, I know that this is only the beginning, but this has truly been an amazing experience”
MPS gets it right
It was only a few years ago that the MHSA was rumored to be in desperate need of funding in order to keep its doors open. A debt of nearly $1 million threatened to make MHSA yet another casualty of our school systems fiscal reality. Luckily, this was one situation where the community decided enough was enough.
The destruction of an institution that graduates highly motivated, skilled young men and women—the kind of young men and women that win Grammy awards or tour with Tyrese—was unacceptable. Parents and alumni coalesced around a common goal of raising awareness about the plight of MHSA and School administrators worked with the state to rework MHSA’s budget, which is higher than the typical public school due to its arts programs.
While the school was saved, there are still many Milwaukeeans they have yet to realize truly how phenomenal this institutuion is. It is without a doubt a shining example of the potential of Milwaukee’s public school system.
