Shawn Short facts for kids

Shawn Short was born on April 1, 1978. He is an American artist who does many things. He is a choreographer, a dancer, a photographer, and a film director. He also started the Ngoma Center for Dance. Its main dance group is called Dissonance Dance Theatre.

Shawn Short's Early Life and Education

Shawn Short was born in Cheraw, South Carolina. His father was a Marine, and his mother worked hard. Before he was five, his family moved to Washington, DC.

Shawn loved music and movement from a young age. He grew up in the suburbs of Washington, DC. Later, he moved into the city for college. He trained in classical music and dance. He learned from many great teachers in Washington, DC. Some of his teachers included Mike Malone, Tyrone Murray, and Sandra Fortune-Green.

Shawn earned his first degree, a Bachelor of Fine Arts, from Howard University. He then went on to get his graduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Shawn Short's Career Journey

Starting Out in Fashion and Music

Shawn Short began his career by trying out for fashion shows. He also worked with modeling agencies. He became the first cover model for Metro Weekly Magazine's first fashion issue.

Shawn also started his music journey when he was young. He sang in youth choirs. He often performed at community events. He even performed at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. When he was eleven, he learned to play the flute. He toured with the Lions Honors Band. Later, he studied music in college. He became interested in writing his own music. His original music was first used in a dance show in New York City in 2010.

Theatre and Dance Work

Shawn Short has worked with many famous dance groups. These include the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center and Dance Theatre of Harlem. He also studied ballet with important teachers like Margarita De Saa and Kee Juan Han.

Shawn has performed with groups like El Teatro de Danza Contemporanea de El Salvador. He also toured with K2 Dance.

In 2007, Shawn started his own dance group, the Dissonance Dance Theater (DDT). Later, in 2012, he created the Ngoma Center for Dance. This center is the main organization for DDT. Shawn is the main choreographer for DDT. He has created over 120 dances for the group. Dancers from DDT have gone on to join other famous companies. These include Philadanco and Garth Fagan.

Shawn has also been asked to create dances for other groups. He choreographed for the Catholic University of America and VF Dance Theater. His work has been shown at many places. These include the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Lincoln Center. He even worked with Cynthia Geffon, a choreographer for the Super Bowl.

In 2020, Dissonance Dance Theater published its first book. It is called Timeless Dance. Remixed. The book is about the dancers in the company.

Teaching Arts to Young People

Shawn Short has a passion for teaching. From 2001 to 2007, he was the Program Director for the Kelsey E. Collie Children's Theater Experience. This was DC's oldest African American Children's theater. He also helped start the Washington Ballet's education campus in southeast DC.

Many of Shawn's students have become successful artists. Some are actresses, playwrights, and Broadway performers. Shawn was also the first Black professor of classical ballet at the Catholic University of America. He taught there from 2008 to 2015.

The Ngoma Center for Dance

Shawn Short founded the Ngoma Center for Dance in 2012. In 2014, he also started The Ngoma School. This school teaches dance skills to its students, many of whom are Black. Students from the school can join DDT as trainees.

Shawn also produces special events. These include Black Dance Festival DMV and Black to Silver: A Black LGBT Experience. He also produces Ngoma Reader Magazine, which features minority artists.

In 2020, Shawn started Ngoma Film Works (NFW). He partnered with Dog Bark Media for this. NFW creates films about dance, human relationships, and cultural history. They make documentaries and story films.

Film Directing and Awards

Shawn Short has produced and directed films. His films include His Eyes Saw Dance (2020) and Mute (2021). His films have won awards. Mute won an award for best dance film at the Cannes World Film Festival. It was also chosen for the American Dance Festival's Movies by Movers Film Festival.

Shawn also has a special certificate in TV and Film. He earned this from New York University's Tisch School.