When MaShawn Morton, adjunct professor of dance, first saw his Black History Month banner hanging in downtown Huntington in 2025, the recognition felt surreal. This year, it caught him off guard.
“I didn’t even know it was going to be up this year,” Morton said. “I feel really grateful and humbled that people are taking the time to look into me or appreciate me.”
Originally from Huntington, Morton studied dance at Point Park University and made a career spanning Broadway workshops, world tours and cruise line productions. In addition, his commercial work includes Ariana Grande, Mary J. Blige, Heather Smalls, Taylor Dane and Britney Spears.
Despite building a career in New York City, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Morton said his professional perspective is still shaped by growing up in Huntington.
“In terms of Black performers, I was a token,” he said. “There was not a lot for me to look up to.”
As a young dancer, Morton said he participated in community theater and trained at a local studio, but representation felt limited.
It was at the Cabell County Library, however, where Morton found a turning point wedged in the arts and entertainment section: Alvin Ailey’s autobiography, “Revelations.”
“It was a picture of him on the cover: a Black man in a dance pose,” he said. “That would probably be the first time that I saw a Black dancer that I wanted to know more about and be inspired by, so I checked it out and read it from top to bottom.”
Now, Morton currently teaches musical theater dance, jazz and contemporary movement, and musical theater workshops, helping shape the next generation of performers.
In each of these teaching environments, Morton said he incorporates dance history and highlights choreographers, directors and dancers who have shaped the field.
“I try to incorporate the fact that I have gained that professional experience and I’m from this area to make young dancers and artists know there are options and opportunities open to them if they allow their minds to open up to stepping outside of state lines,” Morton said.
“If you put yourself in the situation, opportunities have a way of finding themselves,” he added.
Overall, Morton said his classroom philosophy centers on accessibility and safety.
“I try to make my classes feel like a safe space, both physically, emotionally and mentally,” he said.
When reflecting on Black History Month, Morton said he points to a legacy rooted in Huntington itself.
“Black History Month, to me, means a big deal considering the father of Black History came from Huntington, West Virginia,” he said, referencing Carter G. Woodson. “I carry that as a source of pride.”
That pride is accompanied with the aspiration for a better and more progressive future as well as more students taking advantage of open workshops and the opportunities available to them.
As passersby walk downtown past his banner this month, Morton said he hopes they see more than a resume of accomplishments; he hopes they see and feel the possibility.
“I want them to feel inspired,” he said. “Even if it’s not dance or performance based, I want people to feel that there is a world out there that deserves them and a world they deserve.”
Kaitlyn Fleming can be contacted at [email protected].
