He founded the Denishawn dance schools and company with Ruth St. Denis following their marriage in 1915. Over six feet tall, Shawn found himself unsuitable for ballet and created a dance technique built primarily upon essentially masculine actions. Shawn built Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival into a dance center of international renown.

Ted Shawn was born in Kansas City, MO and attended the University of Colorado. His father was an editor for the Kansas City Star newspaper. His mother was a descendant of Edwin Booth, the famous American tragedian. On the paternal side Shawn was descended from a German revolutionist of 1848 who subsequently immigrated to the United States to escape persecution.

When Ted was still a young boy tragedy struck when he lost his mother, brother and a favorite uncle to untimely deaths over an interval of two years. Shortly thereafter he moved with his father to Denver, Colorado where he would complete high school and enter the University of Colorado.

He was preparing to enter the Christian ministry. During his third year at the university Shawn became gravely ill with diphtheria. During his long recovery, which included learning to walk again and strengthening his body, particularly his legs which had become lame, Shawn determined to become a dancer.

In 1912 Shawn moved to Los Angeles where he established his own modest school of dance. Soon afterward joined forces with Norma Gould with whom he made one of the first dance films, Dance of the Ages. Emboldened by his success, Shawn took his little company across the country on a tour of 19 towns and cities, culminating with performances in New York. Here he would meet Ruth St. Denis who became his dancing partner. They were married on August 13, 1914. Together they founded the Denishawn schools and the Denishawn dancers.

The contributions of Shawn to American dance history, include his establishment of dance technique which he considered necessary to the evolution of male dancing. His use of thematic material began with pure American influences including aboriginal, folk and popular culture.

He introduced ethnic dance forms into American dance training, and the creation of dances especially suitable for church services. He is remembered best, perhaps, for the formation of an all-male company of dancers who influenced and assuaged American prejudice against men dancers.

In 1933, following the formation of his men's group which he called Ted Shawn and His Men Dancers, Shawn began a seven-year adventure performing at home and abroad where he clearly established in the minds of his audiences the right of men to dance.

In the first two decades of Jacob's Pillow as a dance center, Shawn presided over premieres of more than one hundred new dances, many solos but others major productions. With his innovative ideas of masculine movement he is one of the most influential choreographers and dancers of his day.

Throughout his long career in dance Shawn created an unprecedented number of dance works, ballets, ensembles, trios, duets, and solos for his own companies, for Denishawn, for vaudeville units, and for students. Barton Mumaw, who was both Shawn's leading dancer and his lover for many years, wrote candidly about their passionate love relationship that lasted for fifteen-years.

Ted Shawn was honored with the degree of Master of Physical Education from Springfield College, the Capezio Award (1957), and the Knighthood in the Order of Dannelbrog, conferred upon him by King Frederick IX of Denmark (1957). This great American pioneer of dance died in Orlando, Florida.