Shalondra Henry

Shalondra E. Henry serves Moving in the Spirit as Executive Director. In her previous role as Director of Strategy & Expansion, she oversaw closing out the $8.4 million dollar capital campaign of Moving in the Spirit’s performing arts center. She supports oversight of the strategic direction of the non-profit through fundraising and organizational management.

Shalondra has 25 years combined experience working in philanthropy, nonprofit management, entertainment, and wellness. At an early age, she realized that she had two passions: helping others and creative self-expression. Over the course of her career these desires have manifested themselves in various ways. She enjoys using her creative gifts curating experiences of growth, win-win connectivity and strategic planning.

Shalondra began her long history with Moving in the Spirit as a volunteer serving as a mentor and funder. After working in the television and film industry in Los Angeles, Shalondra returned to Atlanta and soon after joined Moving in the Spirit as Director of Strategy & Expansion in 2018. Her career includes leadership of Hands On Atlanta’s (HOA) AmeriCorps program building and developing goals shared among students, families, the Atlanta Public School system and corporations as a Team Leader and Associate Program Director. Her work at HOA included running an afterschool program, overseeing human resources, federal and organizational budget management and developing processes and procedures to improve workflows. Upon leaving HOA, Shalondra went on to work as a Program Officer for The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, managing a dynamic portfolio of arts & culture as well as athletics & fitness grantmaking. Beyond her grantmaking at The Blank Foundation, Shalondra was tapped to lead several special projects including the integration of the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation into the Blank Family group of philanthropies.

Shalondra is a dynamic and compassionate leader who believes in the boundless capacity of children and adults to shine and thrive.

Dana Marie Lupton is Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Moving in the Spirit, a nonprofit that serves Atlanta’s young people and creates compassionate leaders through the art of dance. Ms. Lupton studied at The American Dance Festival at Duke University with Chuck Davis, Clarence Teeter and Jill Beck and earned a degree in Business Administration from Terry College of Business at University of Georgia. She has performed with Susan Eldridge’s company, DENSE, cofounder Leah Mann, Lori Teague and as a solo artist throughout the United States and Europe.

Ms. Lupton shares, “ As an artist engaged in the creation, performance, and teaching of dance, it is my hope to address those issues which are relevant to the community in which I live, specifically as they relate to the individuals and groups with whom I serve. I intend to explore and assist others with the exploration of their intrinsic artistic expression, “giving voice” to pertinent social, cultural, and personal concerns.

It is also my hope that the medium of dance may be utilized to enrich, empower, and enlighten people, drawing together individuals of diverse backgrounds and allowing them to learn from one another and to share their unique gifts. This is particularly important for Atlanta’s young people and adults who are not afforded such opportunities by current institutional and social structures.  In 1986, this belief inspired Genene Stewart, Leah Mann and I to co-found Moving in the Spirit.”

Over the past 37 years, Ms. Lupton has received numerous awards for her service to Atlanta’s arts community and youth, including a Lexus Leader for the Arts Award, a Bank of America Local Heroes Award, and the Mayor’s Fellowship for the Arts in Dance Award. Her leadership was recognized by The President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, which honored Ms. Lupton and Moving in the Spirit with a Youth Program Award in 2005. Governor’s Award for the Arts & Humanities, presented by Georgia Governor Nathan Deal, Dream Award,  and POW Award by Womenetics, Leadership Atlanta Class of 2016, eChievement Award, Inspiring Woman Award by Atlanta Dream Basketball, The President’s Community Service Award by Atlanta City Council, True to Atlanta Award by Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club, Emory Board of Visitors, and most recently a Woman Leader in the Arts Award presented by Synchronicity in 2019.

Leah Mann has always been a hyper kinetic and spatial learner. One of her first memories is of overstimulating her vestibular system and thinking she was flying. She was a competitive gymnast and found her way to dance at a Ft. Bragg, N.C., army base and later with a former Rockette in a rural suburb of Atlanta. Leah graduated from the University of Georgia in 1985 (BSed). She continued on to the American Dance Festival on a choreography scholarship. Shortly after, Leah founded Moving in the Spirit with Dana Lupton, a fellow University of Georgia graduate, and Genene Stewart. She remains the Artistic Director Emerita of the organization to this day.

Leah began collaborating with artist Ela Lamblin in 1993. This collaboration has sustained and evolved Leah’s kinetic spacial viewpoint into a whole body, multi-intelligence, all-sensory way of living and of looking at the world, which is then brought to new life in the physical music of Lelavision. Leah is the co-founder and administrator of Integrated Music, a roster of 12 artists providing music on wards and at bedsides in Seattle Medical Center. She teaches restorative movement to Alzheimer patients at community care centers, emphasizing developmental patterns for brain health. She facilitates personal development retreats exploring hope, resilience and healing using improvisation forms, developmental movement and the exploration of polyrhythms in the body. She also teaches youth workshops to cultivate curiosity and invention using the vehicle of movement and improvisational play.

Leah has been a main presenter at conferences such as National Sacred Dance Guild Festival, International InterPlay Annual Meeting, and The Society for Arts In Healthcare Conferences. Leah has been awarded numerous grants and commissions from entities such as the NEA Alternate Visions Grant, The Criminal Defense and Justice Project, The Pacific School of Religion, Seattle Arts Commission, Change Inc, Bossak Heilbron Foundation, King County Special Projects, Artist Trust, 4Culture and The Puffin Foundation.

In 1986, Genene Stewart joined Dana Lupton and Leah Mann to become the third co-founder of Moving in the Spirit. During the organization’s formative years, she served as chief operations officer, administrator, program director, choreographer, and influential teacher, reaching hundreds of children in area schools, churches, and community centers. In the 1990’s, Genene directed Moving in the Spirit’s Stepping Stones program and founded the Junior Company (now GLOW in Motion) while simultaneously managing a career in accounting and administration in the corporate sector. Genene was an accounting major at Georgia State University and has over forty years of experience in executive management and modern dance studies.

Genene transitioned from daily operations to an advisory role in 2002, returning as Managing Director in 2007 to usher in a new era of growth for Moving it the Spirit. During this time, Genene was instrumental in securing the company’s long-term sustainability. In the 2008-2012 economic recession, when many organizations were cutting services, Genene expertly guided Moving in the Spirit’s team to increase programming and students served.

From 2017-2018, Genene led negotiations to secure a 99-year land lease with MARTA and over $2.5 million in New Markets Tax Credit, an achievement that paved the way for Moving in the Spirit to break ground on its new world-class performing arts and youth development center. Throughout 2020-2022, Genene guided Moving in the Spirit as the organization completed a capital campaign and moved into its new home during a global pandemic, securing $400K in Paycheck Protection Program forgivable loans to retain staff, teaching artists, and preserve program integrity.

Genene’s savvy for finance and operations gained the respect of the philanthropic community throughout her career. Through her leadership and management, Moving in the Spirit received the 2011 Managing for Excellence Award from the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. Genene leadership was also recognized in 2019 when the Atlanta Business Chronicle named her as a finalist for its CFO of the Year award.

Outside of Moving in the Spirit, Genene has served as a business consultant to Donnie Wellz Designs, Orangemoon Management, and Grio’s Fire Theatre Ensemble.

Artistically, she has participated in various workshops with the Alvin Ailey Company and Urban Bush Women of New York; Barbara Sullivan’s Atlanta Dance Theatre; Spelman College; and collaborations with The Renaissance Project and The Arthur Mitchell Dance Company. Genene has also created choreography that was performed by various artists of The Cathedral Academy, DeKalb Show Choir and the 1996 Olympic Celebration in Atlanta, Georgia.

Genene officially retired from Moving in the Spirit on December 31, 2022, returning to consult as needs arise.

Throughout her career, Genene has always expressed that the growth and success of others is her greatest reward. Her parting words to our community say it all:

“My purpose in life is to serve by sharing knowledge and creating opportunities for others to thrive! Moving in the Spirit has been the trajectory that has allowed me to achieve that purpose. It has been my joy to see generations of our students grow in confidence, knowledge, and compassion. But, most importantly, many of them are returning, learning, teaching, and passing it on. It is time for the next generation to RISE, LEAD, and SOAR!”

After several years of working with Moving in the Spirit as a contractor, Betty Legette joined the team full-time in July of 2015. During the 10 years prior to accepting this position, she operated her own company specializing in administrative services and process improvement for small companies in the Metropolitan Atlanta area. Betty has over twenty-five years of experience in executive administration, finance, and management, working for corporations like Georgia Pacific and Quebecor Printing.

Kacey Dennis is the Human Resources Manager at Moving in the Spirit. She holds a BS in sociology from the State University of West Georgia, and a Masters and Educational Specialist in professional counseling from GSU. Over 15 years ago, she was a Moving in the Spirit dancer and now shares her passion for working with youth.

Erin Weller Dalton is a graduate of Oglethorpe University with a BA in English and Theatre. She is also a member LEAD Atlanta Class of 2016. As a nonprofit administrative professional, Erin has previously worked with such organizations as Actor’s Express and the Alliance Theatre. An active member of the Atlanta arts community, Erin has performed for Fly-By Theatre, Duende Dance Theatre, 7 Stages, Art on the Atlanta BeltLine, Nicole Livieratos and Maryn Whitmore. She is also a proud company member of Crossover Movement Arts. Erin passionately supports organizations that advance opportunities for artists in our city and is a founding board member of DanceATL, a dance service organization that nurtures and promotes dance as a vibrant part of Atlanta’s arts ecosystem. Additionally, Erin enjoys teaching Mini Steps and Girls in Motion classes at Moving in the Spirit.

A native of New Orleans, LA, Sulé-Joel Adams enjoys a career that personifies artistic versatility. He has worked in roles including dancer, educator, producer, choreographer, and arts administrator working to raise awareness through dance forms – culturally, historically and spiritually –  compelling the broader community to expand their embrace of the world. He is a graduate from the State University of New York College where he earned his B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on Community Arts Management and a M.A. in Leadership in the Arts and Entertainment Industries from NYIT. As a dancer, Sulé has worked with Ronald K. Brown/Evidence, Francine E. Ott/The Walk, Soweto Street Beat, N’Kafu Traditional African Dance Company and other widely renowned companies and artists touring regionally and internationally. In addition to performing, he has created and continues to produce HomeGrown events and initiatives, which celebrate artists’ contributions to the cultural heritage of their communities through performances, exhibitions, talks and workshops. Ignited by his passion for the arts, Sulé’s mission is to always advocate and assist in building communities through arts education; paving a way for dreamers and their dreams.