Ann Reinking got her break dancing in hit Bob Fosse musicals of the 1970s, moving from the chorus in Pippin to the lead in Chicago (where she replaced Fosse's wife Gwen Verdon). Reinking also had a love affair with Fosse and later played his lover in Fosse's semi-autobiographical movie All That Jazz. Later she became a choreographer and is often cited as the leading acolyte of Fosse's style and techniques. She gained new fame when she choreographed and starred in the 1997 Broadway revival of Chicago. She also founded the Broadway Theater Project, a Florida training program connecting students with seasoned theater professionals.

Reinking is one of the dance judges of the Grand Finals in the 2005 documentary Mad Hot Ballroom.