City of Dallas Might Give Ann Williams, Mother of Dallas Dance, a Street of Her Own

Ann Williams has been getting her way for a long time. She was the first African-American to graduate with her MFA in dance from Texas Woman's Univeristy; she started the city's first resident dance company focused on creating opportunities for minorities; she spent 37 years teaching, producing and advocating for...

By Lauren Smart

June 4, 2014

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Ann Williams has been getting her way for a long time. She was the first African-American to graduate with her MFA in dance from Texas Woman's Univeristy; she started the city's first resident dance company focused on creating opportunities for minorities; she spent 37 years teaching, producing and advocating for dance in Dallas. And after 37 years at the helm of Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Williams got her way once again and retires this season.

Thursday the City Plan Commission will meet to discuss, among other things, creating an official Ann Williams Way, by renaming a section of Flora Street in honor of the mother of Dallas dance.

If plans are approved, Ann Williams Way would be the 2700 and 2800 blocks of Flora Street. This is the section of Flora disconnected from the main street by the monolith known as One Arts Plaza. Situated along this East patch of road is both Dallas Black Dance Theatre and a satellite location of mega- church Fellowship, as well as a few parking lots. And while it's just a small gesture to a mighty lady, we'd be pretty happy to see Williams' name literally paving the way for dance in this city.

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