ANN WILLIAMS founded Dallas Black Dance Theatre (DBDT) in 1976. Her primary focus was to have acompany of trained dancers serve as inspiration to boys and girls that had never seen a professionalAfrican American dance company. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, DBDT now serves as an inspiration tocommunities locally, nationally and internationally.DBDT is the nation’s 4th largest and Dallas’s oldest continuously operating minority professional dancecompany. Its mission is to create and produce contemporary modern dance at the highest artistic level.Over its 40-year history, the company has performed for 3.5 million arts patrons and 2.5 million childrenin 31 states, 15 countries across five continents.Ms. Williams is an artistic leader, educator and community motivator. She is a founding member of theInternational Association of Blacks in Dance. She received her undergraduate degree from Prairie ViewA&M University and was the first African American to receive a Master of Arts in Dance from Texas Woman’sUniversity. Her honors and awards are many, including distinguished Alumna from both institutions. Sheserved six-years as Regent for TWU and in 2002 was inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame. Sheis a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and The Links, Inc. For 44 years, she was married to the lateNathaniel Williams, an Administrator with DISD and parents of daughter Angelia Williams Chancellor, agraduate of Ursuline Academy, Florida A&M University, School of Business & Industry and University ofDallas, School of Business Management.