Life & Work with Shirley Stapleton of Riverdale, GA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shirley Stapleton.

Hi Shirley, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
From the very beginning, my journey was shaped by the hands of women who saw destiny in me long before I understood it myself. I was only five years old when my God-mother began grooming me for what would later become both my passion and my divine calling. She watered seeds she knew would one day bloom, urging my mother to place me in programs that expanded my world and stretched my imagination. Together, we traveled to Texas for classes in African dance, piano, and other creative arts. I admired my cousin who played piano effortlessly, but even then, I sensed that my heartbeat to a different rhythm, one that only dance could interpret.

As I grew older, my mother continued to invest in my gift, enrolling me in ballet, hip-hop, contemporary, and liturgical dance. Somewhere between the discipline of ballet positions, the freedom of hip-hop expression, and the spiritual depth of liturgical movement, I found myself. Dance became my language, the space where I healed, transformed, and learned to trust the voice God planted inside me.

My transition into leadership came naturally. As a young adult, I became the Director of the Dance Ministry at New Jerusalem Church in Jackson, Mississippi. That experience stretched me in ways I never anticipated. I was no longer just dancing, I was ministering, mentoring, and moving people into spiritual encounters through the art of movement. Out of that season, I birthed my first studio, iDance Academi, a place where young girls learned not only technique but confidence, identity, and purpose. Watching my students grow has been one of my life’s greatest honors. Many have gone on to accomplish remarkable things, including my former student Faith Thigpen, who captured nationwide attention on Lifetime’s hit show *The Dancing Dolls*. Their success is proof that when you pour into others with intention, legacy is the natural result.

My gift has taken me around the world to stage plays, major conferences, and countless churches where I’ve served as a featured praise and worship dancer. Each platform reminded me that dance is more than movement; it is ministry, healing, and a universal language that transcends backgrounds, cultures, and experiences.

Today, I stand as the Founder of Promises Dance Academy in Riverdale, GA, and Head Dance Coach at Kip South Fulton Academy continuing the work that began decades ago with a dream-filled little girl. I am also the Leading First Lady of Safe Place Ministries under the leadership of my husband, Apostle Bobby E. Stapleton, Jr., and the Director and Founder of Rehoboth International Ministries Dance Ministry .

What began as a childhood passion has become a global calling, one that allows me to shape generations, empower young girls to rise above limitations, and use dance as a vessel for transformation. My story is a testament to what happens when purpose meets discipline, when passion is nurtured early, and when God’s hand is on every step. From Mississippi roots to Georgia influence, I am still evolving, still growing, and still committed to using my gift to shift atmospheres and inspire the world.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Absolutely not, the road has been anything but smooth, and truthfully, I wouldn’t be who I am today if it had been. Every challenge I faced shaped my resilience, sharpened my purpose, and deepened my commitment to the calling God placed on my life.

There were seasons when I questioned myself, seasons when resources were scarce, and seasons when support was inconsistent. Building a career in the arts, especially dance requires a level of faith and endurance that many don’t see behind the scenes. I faced moments of burnout, financial strain, and the quiet pressure of breaking generational barriers with no blueprint to follow. As a young woman leading ministries and launching businesses, I often battled doubt and fear, wondering if I was truly equipped for the mantle I carried.

There were also emotional struggles: losing people I loved, navigating environments where my gift was undervalued, and carrying the weight of being “the strong one” even when I felt fragile. But in every season of stretching, God sent reminders that I was not alone whether through a mentor, a student’s breakthrough, or a door opening at the exact moment I needed it.

The greatest struggle, however, was learning to trust the process. I had to understand that delay was not denial, that detours were divine setups, and that every no was pushing me toward the right yes. The challenges built character, humility, discipline, and a deeper awareness of my assignment.

So no, it hasn’t been smooth. It’s been difficult, humbling, and at times heartbreaking. But it has also been rewarding, transformative, and deeply purposeful. And every obstacle I overcame has become a testimony I now use to encourage the next generation of dancers, dreamers, and women who feel called to rise above circumstances they never asked for.

My struggles didn’t stop me, they shaped me. They refined my gift, strengthened my leadership, and gave me a story worth telling.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My work sits at the intersection of artistry, ministry, leadership, and healing. I am a choreographer, a dance educator, a mentor, and a vessel using movement not just as creative expression, but as a spiritual encounter that touches the hearts of those I teach and minister to. I specialize in liturgical dance, contemporary movement, and purpose-driven choreography designed to shift atmospheres and create transformative experiences for both dancers and audiences.

I am known for teaching with intention, leading with compassion, and creating spaces where young girls and women discover their identity, confidence, and voice through dance. Whether in the studio, on the stage, or in the church, my calling has always been to cultivate excellence and inspire growth from the inside out. Promises Dance Academy in Riverdale, GA, and my earlier work with iDance Academi and Rehoboth International Ministries Dance Ministry have all been extensions of that mission shaping dancers spiritually, mentally, and artistically.

What I am most proud of is the impact. I’ve watched students who came in timid or uncertain transform into bold, gifted artists. I’ve seen dancers under my mentorship go on to earn national recognition, such as my former student Faith Thigpen from Lifetime’s The Dancing Dolls. Those accomplishments mean everything to me, not because of the spotlight, but because they represent purpose fulfilled. I am proud of the safe, empowering environments I’ve built places where dancers feel seen, valued, and pushed toward greatness.

What sets me apart is that my approach is rooted in calling, not competition. I’m not simply teaching choreography; I’m developing character, strengthening identity, and building legacy. My gift isn’t just dance, it’s my ability to see potential before it blooms, to pull greatness out of others, and to use movement as a conduit for healing and inspiration. From Mississippi to Georgia, I’ve carried a commitment to excellence, integrity, and intentionality that resonates everywhere I go.

At the core of everything I do is purpose. My journey has never been about recognition, it has been about impact, transformation, and leaving every person I encounter better than I found them. That is my work. That is my ministry. And that is what continues to set me apart.

What matters most to you? Why?
What matters most to me is purpose, living it, protecting it, and walking in it boldly. Purpose is the thread that connects every chapter of my life: my childhood beginnings in dance, my calling into ministry, my role as a mentor, and my responsibility to the next generation. Purpose is the reason I push through challenges, why I create, why I teach, and why I serve.

Legacy also matters deeply to me. I carry the weight and the honor of breaking generational cycles, opening doors that once felt impossible, and creating opportunities for young women who look like me, dream like me, and fight like me. I want them to know that their dreams are valid, their voices are powerful, and their gifts have value beyond measure. The work I do isn’t just for the present it’s for the daughters, the nieces, the students, and the generations coming behind me.

Impact matters. Seeing lives transformed, witnessing confidence being built, watching dancers discover their own identity through movement those moments remind me why I do what I do. Dance is my art, but people are my assignment. Every soul I pour into, every gift I help unlock, every life touched through ministry and mentorship that is what fuels me.

And above all, faith matters. My journey, my resilience, my creativity none of it exists without God’s guidance. Faith is the anchor that has kept me grounded through storms and the wind that has carried me into rooms my feet never imagined stepping into.

So what matters most? Purpose. Legacy. Impact. Faith.
Because these are the things that outlast applause, outshine titles, and outlive seasons. They are the things that make my life meaningful and my work worth doing.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsshirleystapleton/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kianna.hopkins.3
• Other: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064700975337#