Ann M. Williams

With audiences of all ages and backgrounds, Dallas Black Dance Theatre bridges cultures through education and performances that reach diverse communities.

"The truest expression of a people is in its dance and in its music," said Agnes de Mille. "Bodies never lie." Ann M. Williams has granted legions of dancers and their audiences access to this true expression as founder and artistic director of the Dallas Black Dance Theatre. Williams created DBDT in 1976, making it the longest continuously operating dance company in Dallas. What originated as a community organization providing dance opportunities for minorities has become a full professional dance organization which provides opportunities for everyone. A diverse, multi-ethnic troupe of dancers performs a mixed repertory of modern, jazz, ethnic and spiritual works. The company has studied and performed with prominent American dancers, including Alvin Ailey, Robert Battle, Chuck Davis, and Talley Beatty. Performance venues have ranged from The Kennedy Center to the 1996 Olympic Games to international tours. Williams is also a founding member of the Dance Council, The International Association of Blacks in Dance, and The Dallas Morning News Dance Festival.

Milestones
• 1976 - Founds Dallas Black Dance Theatre to provide dance opportunities for minorities
• 1990 - Honored as a "distinguished alumna" by Prairie View A&M University and Texas Woman's University
• 1996 - Receives The Real Estate Council's "Dreamers, Doers, and Unsung Heroes" Award
• 2000 - Founds DBTD II to develop young artists and provide them opportunities to perform throughout DFW
• 2002 - Inducted into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame
• 2005 - Honored at The Kennedy Center as part of the Masters of African-American Choreography series

Ann M. Williams, founder and artistic director of Dallas Black Dance Theatre, serves on the Board of Directors of the Uganda Children's Charities Foundation, Texas Ballet Theatre, Texas Woman's University Foundation, and The International Association of Blacks in Dance.