It can be hard to find your place in the world. Many find themselves puzzled by the mere thought of answering the question of who they really are. It is said that we are who we are, in part, because of our ancestors. The way we navigate this world is shaped by the lessons, good or bad, that we endure. One’s progress abounds when we push to be our best selves. This can be said about Washington, DC native Shawn Short, a dance entrepreneur making his mark in the world of dance. Short is one of the few Black professional dance directors in DC’s large performing arts scene. A man who’s used to the hustle for the prosperity of his vision, Shawn dreams of a DC that celebrates its Black dance history through continued visibility of thriving professional Black dance companies. He makes this dream a reality through his organization Ngoma Center for Dance founded in 2012 – the parent organization for Dissonance Dance Theatre founded in 2007. Shawn Short builds a legacy that’s inspired by the great leaders of DC’s Black dance past, persevering through strife as he pushes to keep his Black-managed dance organization visible and thriving.
A child born during the end of the disco era, Shawn Short boogied to music and movement. Growing up in the suburbs of Washington, DC, and later moving into the city for independence and higher education, Short’s early performing arts training was rooted in classical music and dance, studying his craft throughout Washington, DC’s arts scene. A young Black dancer during the decline of Washington, DC’s Black dance golden age (1932 – 2000), Short represents one of the last African-American dance artists to study with notable Director Mr. Mike Malone (Fame – TV Show; Founding Director of Howard University’s Musical Theatre dept), and legendary D.C. dancers and teachers: Tyrone Murray, Assane Konte, Adrian Bolton, Katherine Smith, Sandra Fortune-Green, Adrian Vincent James, Fabian Barnes, and Miya Hisaka.
Fostering his initial classical ballet training at Washington Ballet, Maryland Youth Ballet, Howard University, and a residency with Lines Ballet’s Alonzo King and Ryan Taylor, Short began to cultivate his love of theatre, classical ballet, Black dance forms, and nontraditional contemporary dance. Short went on to receive a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Theatre from Howard University, a Masters of Fine Arts in Dance from The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and a Post Graduate Certificate in Business Management from the University of Liverpool (England).
From Black and collegiate modern dance to contemporary ballet, as a professional dancer, Short gained a myriad of artistic experiences that later formed the origin of his choreographic signature and leadership style. Short professionally performed with El Teatro de Danza Contemporanea El Salvador, Bolton/Smith Dance Company, Dance Alloy, and toured with now-defunct K2 Dance.
Unfortunately, the Black-supportive DC that Shawn was raised in is not the DC we know today. Many Black organizations felt supported by the late Mayor Marion Barry, who publicly supported Black lives and prosperity. With Black dance entities numbering in the single digits, they are a far cry from their initial start in 1932 with the establishment of the first by Bernice Hammond, a Howard University alumnae. As Black Lives Matter demonstrations of the early 2020s moved across the US and the world to call out Black injustice (nostalgic of the 1960s), Washington, DC like many places experienced injustice – even with a Black female mayor. According to the Washington Post article written in 2021 entitled, “D.C. Mayor Bowser names new chairman of the arts commission, which is facing accusations of cronyism and racism”, Washington, DC suffers from white supremacy and elitism creating barriers for organizations of color to gain essential resources for sustainability and growth – a different reality than in Mayor Marion Barry years in office. Moreover, gentrification and limited real estate have stifled Black organizations, particularly dance organizations. Short understands the reality of racial and cultural bias and has dealt with these challenges as a DC native and Black artist. But through dedication, hard work, and faith he is moving his vision forward.
Like Mike Malone and other Black arts leaders before him, Short has learned from their lead and has added his own contributions to DC’s arts scene. As the Creative Producer of Black Dance Festival DMV, Black to Silver: A Black LGBT Experience, Ngoma Reader Magazine (a minority artist magazine), and many others, Short’s arts contributions span across more than 15 years in the DC area.
Holding the torch and creating for tomorrow’s vision, Shawn leads Ngoma Center for Dance (Ngoma) which turns 10 years old in 2022. Creating a path and a diverse host institution that supports traditional and non-traditional dance arts, Ngoma develops dance artists through The Ngoma School and provides them professional dance opportunities through its contemporary ballet, Dissonance Dance Theatre. Short is the Founder and Principal Choreographer of DDT, creating more than 120 dances of DDT’s extensive classical and contemporary repertoire. “One of the 11 small-but-mighty dance companies outside of LA and NYC”, by Dance Spirit Magazine DDT is the only Black-managed contemporary ballet company nationally recognized between New York City and Atlanta. In the interest of future dance artists, Shawn established The Ngoma School in 2014 to provide a vocational-dance perspective to its Black-majority student population. Students of the program have joined DDT through trainee and apprenticeship programs.
As can be seen, Shawn Short is building a legacy that’s inspired by DC’s rich Black dance past, while striving through adversity to become a beacon for his community and its supporters. With a bi-partisan America a reality, dampening the pulse of progress, all sectors in the nation’s capital will feel its effects. Short stands on the shoulders of giants, and it’s with their wisdom he will be successful.
