About

My name is Ann Votaw [VO-taw]. I am a born-and-bred Hoosier who moved from Chicago to New York in 2003 to be a musical theater dancer.

Having worked with seniors within a bustling community center for more than a decade, I describe myself as a “cruise director on land and screen.” Not only do I create and lead online and offline health and wellness programs/adventures, I strategically market them through digital platforms, paper newsletters, and word-of-mouth announcements. I have a deep enthusiasm for community engagement through events and classes targeted toward diverse audiences.

In my personal time, I enjoy writing and reading poetry. As a freelance journalist, my work has appeared in Marie Claire, Huffington Post, Crain's, Family Circle, Salon, Observer, Dance Magazine, Dame Magazine, amNewYork, Newsday, Dance Teacher, and The New York Post. My freelance copywriting has appeared on Noodle.com, where I had the nursing education beat. You can read some of my work here.

Education: M.A. in Health Education and Promotion from Lehman College. B.S. is in News Journalism with minors in Dance and Political Science from Ball State University.

Movement Arts: In 2006, I was semi-knockdown karate champion in Montreal and New Jersey. In 2014, I ran my first (and last glorious) New York City Marathon. Certifications include yoga, Pilates, group fitness, meditation, iRest meditation, Zumba, SAIL, Tai Chi for Arthritis, Chronic Disease Management, A Matter of Balance, CPR/First Aid, and many other things.

Dance: Performance highlights include nightly shows on the M.S. Scotia Prince, Hunyak in Chicago and Texas in Cabaret. Television appearances include the Food Network’s Ham on the Street: I and fellow dancers made canned food and “can-canned” with Chef George Duran. Other dance highlights include coordinating a flash mob for older adults and performing in an industrial for Hewlett Packard in Times Square.