Born to a Marine father and a working-class mother, Short was born in Cheraw, South Carolina, and later moved to Washington, DC, before the age of five. 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 work experience includes contract work with the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, International Finance Corporation, and Microsoft Government Affairs Office, and the US Administrative offices of the Judiciary Courts.

Short’s performing arts training was rooted in classical music and dance, studying his craft throughout Washington, DC’s arts scene.

Shawn Short is a multifaceted arts leader who masterfully balances roles as an administrator, creative director, educator, and consultant with over 20 years of experience transforming dance organizations and mentoring emerging artists. His distinctive expertise spans building the nationally-recognized Dissonance Dance Theatre as its Founding Artistic Director, teaching in prestigious institutions like Catholic University of America, producing award-winning creative work across multiple media platforms, and providing strategic consulting that has helped numerous arts organizations achieve sustainable growth and impact.