About

LaShaun Dodds is a nonprofit executive, artistic director, educator, choreographer, and ministry leader with more than two decades of experience advancing youth development, leadership, and community engagement through the performing arts. As Founder and Executive Director of diPA Center, Inc., she has dedicated her career to creating transformative artistic experiences that cultivate excellence, inspire purpose, and strengthen communities. A native of Chicago’s South Side, Dodds is the visionary creator and Artistic Director of Metro Atlanta’s The Gospel Nutcracker®, an original production that reimagines the beloved holiday classic through the lens of faith, gospel music, and diverse dance traditions while creating meaningful performance opportunities for youth and professional artists. She also founded the Howard University Dancing Bisonettes, reflecting her longstanding commitment to creating platforms that develop dancers, cultivate community, and expand opportunities for emerging artists. Recognized nationally for her work at the intersection of dance, ministry, education, and nonprofit leadership, Dodds has been invited to share her expertise with universities, seminaries, and professional organizations across the country. In October 2024, she was invited by Dr. Donyelle McCray to serve as Guest Lecturer at Yale Divinity School for the course Is It a Sermon?, presenting on more than two decades of work exploring the intersection of dance, ministry, and community. During the same visit, she was invited by Dr. Awet Andemicael, Associate Dean for Marquand Chapel and Lecturer in Theology at Yale Divinity School and the Institute of Sacred Music, to serve as Guest Dance Artist and Ministry Leader for Marquand Chapel. Her additional invited engagements include Guest Lecturer at Kennesaw State University, where, at the invitation of Tamara Irving, she taught and mentored emerging dance artists through choreography, performance, and artistic exploration. In September 2021, she was invited by Dr. Rev. Drew Smith to serve as a panelist for Pittsburgh Theological Seminary’s Metro Urban Institute’s 30th Anniversary Symposium, Urban Artistry, Aesthetics, and Social Ministry, contributing to a national conversation on faith, the arts, leadership, and community transformation. She has also partnered internationally with Love God Love People Ministries in Haiti, using dance and creative arts as a vehicle for ministry, leadership development, and community outreach. Dodds has completed executive education through Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, holds a Master of Divinity from Liberty University, and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Howard University. Her artistic and leadership contributions have earned selection as a 2024–2025 Commissioned Artist with the Art, Earth & Soul Kollective, supported by the Henry Luce Foundation, and as a 2025–2026 Cohort Member of The Sacred Arts Collective at Candler School of Theology at Emory University, a Lilly Endowment-funded initiative exploring the intersection of theology, sacred arts, and community engagement. She was also invited to serve as a panelist for The Sacred Arts Collective Orientation, sharing insights with incoming cohort members on leadership, vocation, and creative practice. Committed to strengthening both the arts and the communities they serve, Dodds has served as a Board Member of DanceATL, advancing collaboration and advocacy for Metro Atlanta’s dance community, and has been invited to serve on the Advisory Board of UrbanSpire, an organization dedicated to strengthening urban communities through intersectional research, dialogue, creative arts, curriculum development, community wellness strategies, and the curation of local stories. Her choreography and artistic direction have been featured nationally, including choreography for Jessica Biel in Hulu’s Candy. Her work has also been recognized by the International Association of Blacks in Dance, The Dallas Morning News, Georgia Public Broadcasting, DC TV, The Douglas County Sentinel, The Press-Enterprise, and Bold Favor Magazine. She has trained with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Broadway Dance Center, Millennium Dance Complex, The EDGE Performing Arts Center, and BRE Dance Studio. Through every endeavor, Dodds remains committed to using the performing arts as a catalyst for faith, leadership, artistic excellence, and transformational community impact. She resides in Georgia with her husband, Curtis, and is the proud mother of two adult children.

The Gospel Nutcracker brings together emerging and professional artists from across Metro Atlanta for an experience rooted in faith, artistry, mentorship, and community. Through the performing arts, young artists are given opportunities to learn, grow, and share the stage with professionals while celebrating the power of family, fellowship, community, and goodwill. More than a production, TGN is an opportunity to develop artists, build community, and inspire the next generation.

The Gospel Nutcracker celebrates Christmas through the story of a young girl’s Gospel experience—honoring the power of family, fellowship, community, and goodwill through the performing arts. That spirit becomes real community impact as a portion of proceeds supports The Matthew253536 Project, helping meet the most urgent needs of families throughout Metro Atlanta during the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter seasons. When you support The Gospel Nutcracker, its message of goodwill extends beyond the stage and into the homes of families who need it most.

MEET THE TEAM

LaShaun Dodds

EXECUTIVE AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Tasha Williams

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

Curtis Dodds

MUSIC DIRECTOR

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