Charlotte Ballet

CHARLOTTE BALLET'S MISSION IS TO PROVIDE ARTISTICALLY EXCELLENT PROGRAMMING TO DIVERSE AUDIENCES IN ITS HOME CITY OF CHARLOTTE, THE SOUTHEAST REGION, AND TO THE VARIED COMMUNITIES IT SERVES WHILE ON TOUR ACROSS THE NATION. CHARLOTTE BALLET HAS RECEIVED CRITICAL RECOGNITION NATIONALLY FOR EXCELLENCE IN PROGRAMMING, ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATION, AND DANCE TRAINING.VISION: CHARLOTTE BALLET IS A CHARLOTTE-BASED, WORLD-CLASS REPERTORY DANCE ENSEMBLE. IT PERFORMS CLASSIC, CONTEMPORARY AND CUTTING-EDGE DANCE WITH VIRTUOSITY, ENERGY, AND ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE FOR LOCAL, STATEWIDE AND NATIONAL AUDIENCES. CHARLOTTE BALLET'S COLLECTIVE TALENTS PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY AND GIVE US THE RESPONSIBILITY TO CHALLENGE, STIMULATE, EDUCATE, ENTERTAIN, AND THEREBY ENRICH OUR AUDIENCES.

ARTISTIC PROGRAMMING: CHARLOTTE BALLET PRESENTS 5-6 PERFORMANCE SERIESOF CLASSICAL AND CONTEMPORARY BALLET IN CHARLOTTE ANNUALLY PRE-COVID PANDEMIC, IN ADDITIONTO PERFORMING ON TOUR LOCALLY, REGIONALLY AND NATIONALLY. THEORGANIZATION EMPLOYS AN AVERAGE OF 28 DANCERS (20 FIRST COMPANY; 8SECOND COMPANY) EACH SEASON. THE NATION'S TOP DANCERS ARE ATTRACTED TOCHARLOTTE BALLET'S RENOWNED ARTISTIC LEADERSHIP; THE DIVERSITY OF ITSCHOREOGRAPHERS AND CHALLENGING REPERTOIRE (BOTH CLASSICAL ANDCONTEMPORARY); AND A COMPETITIVE CONTRACT THAT INCLUDES A MINIMUM OF 36WEEKS OF WORK/YEAR IN PROGRAMMING, EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND DANCE TRAINING. IN 2017/2018, HOPE MUIR BECAME CHARLOTTE BALLET'S FOURTH ARTISTICDIRECTOR SINCE THE ORGANIZATION'S FOUNDING IN 1970. BORN IN TORONTO,MUIR HAS WORKED FOR NEARLY THREE DECADES THROUGHOUT EUROPE, CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES IN BOTH CLASSICAL AND CONTEMPORARY DANCE COMPANIES. HER DIVERSE CAREER HAS SEEN HER CREATE AND PERFORM ROLES FOR SOME OF THE WORLD'S MOST PROLIFIC CHOREOGRAPHERS INCLUDING TWYLA THARP, JIRIKYLIAN, WILLIAM FORSYTHE, GEORGE BALANCHINE, PAUL TAYLOR, MERCECUNNINGHAM, CHRISTOPHER BRUCE CBE AND PERTER SCHAUFUSS. MUIR HAS WORKEDWITH SOME OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS COMPANIES WORLDWIDE AS GUEST TEACHER,STAGER AND REHEARSAL DIRECTOR INCLUDING ENGLISH NATIONAL BALLET,RAMBERT DANCE COMPANY (LONDON), HUBBARD STREET DANCE CHICAGO, BALLET BC(BRITISH COLUMBIA) AND THE NATIONAL BALLET OF CANADA. SHE LEFT HERCURRENT ROLE AS ASSISTANT ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF SCOTTISH BALLET TO SERVEAS THE CHIEF ARCHITECT OF CHARLOTTE BALLET'S AESTHETIC VISION ANDARTISTIC PROFILE. CHARLOTTE BALLET ATTRACTS SUPERB DANCERS WHO PERFORM A VERSATILE AND DIVERSE REPERTOIRE RANGING FROM FULL-LENGTH CLASSICAL BALLETS TO INNOVATIVE CONTEMPORARY WORKS. CHARLOTTE BALLET'S COLLECTIVE TALENTSPROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHALLENGE, STIMULATE, EDUCATE, ENTERTAIN ANDENRICH AUDIENCES. THE NATION'S HIGHEST-RATED DANCE TOURING COMPANY BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS; RECEIVING THE ADVANCEMENT OF EXCELLENCE GRANTFROM THE CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG ARTS & SCIENCE COUNCIL; INVITATIONS TOPERFORM AT THE SPOLETO FESTIVAL, JOYCE THEATER, AND - TWICE IN THREEYEARS - BALLET ACROSS AMERICA AT THE KENNEDY CENTER (WHERE THE NEW YORKTIMES DECLARED OF THE COMPANY, "LUCKY NORTH CAROLINA"). IN THE PASTSEVERAL YEARS CHARLOTTE BALLET HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED LOCALLY, RECEIVING A2012 MEDAL OF HONOR IN THE ARTS FROM WINTHROP UNIVERSITY AND THE 2015CENTER CITY VISION AWARD. CHARLOTTE BALLET WAS ALSO RECOGNIZED FOR "BEST REBRANDING" BY CHARLOTTE MAGAZINE, FOLLOWING THE BRAND EVOLUTION IN 2014 FROM NORTH CAROLINA DANCE THEATRE TO CHARLOTTE BALLET.AS CHARLOTTE BALLET LAUNCHES MUIR'S TENURE, THE BOARD, ARTISTSAND STAFF ARE EXCITED FOR WHAT THE FUTURE WILL BRING FOR THIS COMPANYAND COMMUNITY. MUIR BRINGS UNIQUE VISION; UNPARALLELED PASSION FOR THEART OF BALLET; AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH RENOWNED NATIONAL ANDINTERNATIONAL CHOREOGRAPHERS SUCH AS JAVIER DE FRUTOS, HELEN PICKETT,BRYAN ARIAS, CRYSTAL PITE AND MORE. HER PLANS FOR THE NEXT THREESEASONS AT CHARLOTTE BALLET INCLUDE BOTH CLASSICAL AND CONTEMPORARYWORKS THAT CHALLENGE THE DANCERS AND AUDIENCE, ENGAGE PARTNERS ANDCOLLABORATORS AND SHINE A LIGHT ON THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE. SAYS MUIR, "IAM THRILLED AND HONORED TO HAVE BEEN INVITED TO BE THE NEW ARTISTICDIRECTOR OF CHARLOTTE BALLET AT SUCH AN EXCITING TIME IN THE COMPANY'SDEVELOPMENT."

EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMMING: CHARLOTTE BALLET'SFLAGSHIP COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM, REACH, OFFERS BALLET AND WORLDDANCE TRAINING BY PROFESSIONAL TEACHING ARTISTS AND DANCE ATTIRE FOR UPTO 140 STUDENTS ANNUALLY PRE-COVID PANDEMIC, ALL AT NO COST TO PARTICIPANTS' FAMILIES.CLASSES ARE CONDUCTED OVER 29 SEQUENTIAL WEEKS, IN FIVE COMMUNITYCENTERS ACROSS MECKLENBURG COUNTY. THE PROGRAM, WHICH IS A RESULT OF APARTNERSHIP BETWEEN CHARLOTTE BALLET AND THE MECKLENBURG COUNTY PARK &RECREATION DEPARTMENT, IS THE RECIPIENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OFCOUNTIES AWARD IN RECOGNITION OF "AN EFFECTIVE AND INNOVATIVE PROGRAMWHICH CONTRIBUTES TO AND ENHANCES COUNTY GOVERNMENT IN THE UNITEDSTATES AND THE NORTH CAROLINA RECREATION AND PARKS ASSOCIATION ARTSAND HUMANITIES NOT ONLY DOES REACH OFFER ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY DANCE TRAINING AT NO COST, WITH CLASSES IN DIVERSE NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS MECKLENBURG COUNTY; IT ALSO OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROMISING STUDENTS TO CONTINUE TO TRAIN IN DANCE THROUGH SCHOLARSHIPS TO CHARLOTTE BALLET ACADEMY, AS WELL AS MENTORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR REACH GRADUATES THAT INCLUDE TEACHER ASSISTANT POSITIONS AND INTERNSHIPS. REACH SCHOLARSHIPSCOMPLEMENT NUMEROUS SCHOLARSHIPS OFFERED BY CHARLOTTE BALLET ACADEMY TOTRAIN AT VARIOUS LEVELS. CHARLOTTE BALLET IS COMMITTED TO OFFERINGTALENTED, COMMITTED DANCERS ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY TRAINING, REGARDLESSOF SOCIO-ECONOMIC BACKGROUND, GEOGRAPHIC OR OTHER RESOURCE LIMITATIONS.IN ADDITION TO REACH, CHARLOTTE BALLET'S ANNUAL EDUCATION AND COMMUNITYENGAGEMENT PROGRAMMING INCLUDES COMMUNITY PERFORMANCES,BEHIND-THE-SCENES TOURS, AFTER-SCHOOL DANCE PROGRAMS, SUMMER ENRICHMENTPROGRAMS, SENIOR DRESS REHEARSALS, CURRICULUM-BASED ARTS EDUCATIONTHROUGH IN-CLASSROOM PROGRAMMING, DANCE-A-STORY WORKSHOPS,LECTURE-DEMONSTRATIONS AND EDUCATIONAL THEATER PERFORMANCES - ALL INPARTNERSHIP WITH AREA SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. APARTNERSHIP WITH INREACH (A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT SUPPORTSADULTS WITH INTELLECTUAL, DEVELOPMENTAL AND OTHER DISABILITIES) OFFERSMEMBERS AND THEIR CAREGIVERS WEEKLY DANCE CLASSES BY CHARLOTTE BALLETTEACHING ARTISTS AND A PUBLIC PERFORMANCE AT THE CENTER FOR DANCE.DURING THE MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL DANCE FESTIVAL, CHARLOTTE BALLET OFFERSA TWO-DAY FESTIVAL AT THE CENTER FOR DANCE, WITH MASTER CLASSES ANDAUDITIONS FOR SCHOLARSHIPS TO COLLEGE AND SUMMER DANCE PROGRAMS. A"SENSORY FRIENDLY PERFORMANCE," GIVES INDIVIDUALS AFFECTED BY AUTISMSPECTRUM DISORDERS AND OTHER SENSORY, SOCIAL, AND COGNITIVEDISABILITIES THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENJOY A CHARLOTTE BALLET PERFORMANCEWITH A MODIFIED LEVEL OF SENSORY STIMULUS IN THE THEATER. IN TOTAL,CHARLOTTE BALLET'S ANNUAL EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTPROGRAMMING SERVES OVER 30,000 - APPROXIMATELY 85% OF WHOM ARECHILDREN/YOUTH.

DANCE TRAINING: THE OLDEST DANCE SCHOOL IN NORTH CAROLINA AFFILIATED WITH A PROFESSIONAL DANCE COMPANY, CHARLOTTE BALLET ACADEMY ANNUALLY ENROLLS OVER 900 STUDENTS PRE-COVID PANDEMIC AGES THREE TO ADULT FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD. ALUMNI OF THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF TRAINING, THE PRE-PROFESSIONAL DIVISION, HAVE GONE ON TO DANCE AT AMERICAN SCHOOL OF BALLET, SAN FRANCISCO BALLET AND MORE; AND THE ACADEMY'S REPERTORY ENSEMBLE, A PERFORMANCE GROUP MADE OF TOP-LEVEL STUDENTS, IS DESIGNATED AS AN HONOR COMPANY WITH THE SOUTHEASTERN REGIONAL BALLET ASSOCIATION.