Our History

"Each day I dedicate my work and creativity to my mother. Without her talent, artistic vision, and true beauty none of this would have ever become our reality. Her belief in daydreaming and the magic of entertainment have laid the foundation for our studio. She has opened a door for these children that otherwise would have laid unknown, and shown them into a world of fantasy and glamour. And for that we are forever grateful."
-Susie

Born in Salisbury, MD, on November 25, 1930, she was the daughter of Nellie Loomis McDaniel and Vincent Brittingham. At the age of two, Bobbie Ann and her mother moved to Elkton to a small house on Mackall Street. From a young age, Bobbie Ann loved to sing and dance and took lessons from Edith Collins, and then from Joyce Potter. She took modeling lessons and eventually signed with an agent, Mr. Campbell. Bobbie Ann won many beauty contests: Miss North East Yacht Club, Miss Sunset Park, third runner-up in Miss Philadelphia Pageant, and was a contestant in the Miss Maryland Pageant. As a teenager, she would ride the train to the Philadelphia Civic Ballet Company where she was a dancer. Shortly thereafter, she was hired by Philadelphia television station, WCAU, as the interesting fact and weather girl. At the age of 16, she started teaching dance in her mother's living room. She eventually opened a studio around the corner on Main Street. She graduated from Elkton High School in 1947. After graduation, she married her high school sweetheart, William "Bill" Foster, and together they built a studio in their home. Bobbie Ann's Dance Studio was opened in September 1947 and is still in operation today. Bobbie Ann was very much involved with the studio, not only in the day-to-day operation, but as the creative influence. She touched many lives and taught thousands of children and adults over the course of 66 years. She was the first teacher to accept African-American students in the 1950s and also taught at the Carver School. Her students performed both locally and nationally, appearing on the Chief Halftown Show, at the World’s Fair, and at the World Series Fan Fest, to name a few. Bobbie Ann was always a daydreamer. She strived to make every child's dream come true. She touched the lives of everyone she met. Even in her final days, Bobbie Ann still put on her Chanel makeup and made phone calls to Barney's. She was so glamorous. At the passing of Bobbie Ann, her dear friend described the loss perfectly, "Elkton lost one of its biggest celebrities." Bobbie Ann will be missed dearly and her spirit will always be dancing through town. Our dancers continue to make the magic of entertainment come to life right before our eyes. They truly capture the essence of what Bobbie Ann believed in.