Ann has been singing and dancing for as long as she can remember. Growing up in Oklahoma, she never considered the performing arts as a way to make a living, but she sang and danced throughout her life, enjoying every moment. She won a dance scholarship to study with her mentor, a jazz choreographer just outside of Chicago. And at the age of 21, she had her first professional job and joined Actor’s Equity. Ann returned to Oklahoma and got married and as a newlywed, moved to the DC area in 1969.

After birthing her daughter in 1973, she returned to dance, teaching at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop and performing in community theater and musical reviews. Like most actors, she had a day job, but also started performing in cabarets at DC Space, along with special performances for the Smithsonian Performing Arts Division, focusing on American composers and lyricists. She performed for the National Archives when they were celebrating Irving Berlin’s 100th birthday and she joined a big band traveling show entitled “String of Pearls” where she sang both as a soloist and as part of an Andrew Sisters trio. Ann then started working with professional theaters in the area, the highlight of which was receiving two Helen Hayes Award nominations as best actress in a musical for her work in March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland at Studio Theater.

At the age of 46, Ann decided to consult with a career counselor to figure out what she was going to do when she grew up. Around that same time, she received a call from the political satire group, The Capitol Steps. They needed a woman to fill in for a member of their group on maternity leave. Ann was hired and remained with The Capitol Steps for twenty years, during which time she had an opportunity to perform in every state of the union. One of her most memorable performances was for the OJ Jury during their extended time of sequestration. And so, at mid-life, Ann was able to support herself as a performing artist, with a 401-K no less. Who could have imagined that happening in a place like Washington, DC?

After retiring from singing as a profession, Ann wondered how to keep those vocal cords active. Enter “Encore Creativity for Older Adults.”