WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
For Women’s History Month, we “pulled back the curtain” to share about the women who are making history at Charlotte Ballet. Read on for these spotlights.
Hope Muir, Artistic Director
What are the hobbies or activities that make you lose track of time? Most any activity on a sunny, snowy day but dog sledding is a particular favourite.
Your trivia area of expertise? Don’t consider myself an expert on anything as there is always more to learn, but I do well with music and geography trivia.
Once the world reopens, what are you most looking forward to doing? Travelling. I miss my family and friends and experiencing new places.
One skill you’d like to learn? To play the piano.
What is your work environment like at this point? We are back in the studio, but I still do a lot of virtual meetings from home.
When did you save the day at work or felt that you made the most impact? I love teaching and get such satisfaction from seeing my dancers improve and develop as artists. Not really a ‘save the day’ but always a good way to ‘start the day.’
Photo by Todd Rosenberg.
Misha Eady-Harbold, Artistic Operations Manager
What are the hobbies or activities that make you lose track of time? When my husband and I have a rare night off together, we play “Heads Up” outside on our back deck – no matter the season. We can completely lose track of time with that ridiculous game.
Your trivia area of expertise? Confession – my entire immediate family is intensely competitive at trivia – I love to play. As far as the trivia game topics I’ve won pre-pandemic, however, it’s usually movie quotes, or impossible trivia (obscure facts – to which Hope can attest) so I’ll say that.
Once the world reopens, what are you most looking forward to doing? A Pow Wow. One of the students in my graduate program is Coharie, and her passion really drove me to want to learn and appreciate indigenous culture in a fuller and authentic manner. During the pandemic, most Pow Wows around the country have been cancelled – but I’m finally starting to see some active opportunities in the coming months! (After that, a maskless lowcountry boil in Charleston with my family and friends)
One skill you’d like to learn? ASL (American Sign Language) – I started between semesters last year, and once I graduate in May, it’s the first thing I’ll jump back into. After that, playing the piano. After that, my next scuba certification of Rescue Diver.
What is your work environment like at this point? I’m back in the building, for the most part. When the dancers and production teams are working on site, I’m there to support them as best I can.
When did you save the day at work or felt that you made the most impact? If Hope or our artists don’t have to look for anything or ask for anything because it’s already done, I’ve done my job and I think I’ve made the most impact.
How do you think the ballet world needs to adapt in a post-COVID world, and is anything giving you optimism for the art form? There’s an intergenerational management divide in dance institutions right now, and it was highlighted through the lenses of Covid and the BLM movements in 2020. I’m optimistic that this same shift (Gen Z will not hesitate to speak up!) will buttress changes being written into our policies and contracts, protecting both the changing culture – and the next artists – moving forward.
Photo by Jeff Cravotta
Kimberly Pereira, Education Manager
What are the activities that make you lose track of time? Hiking with my dog Guinness or days at the beach.
Once the world reopens, what are you most looking forward to doing? Traveling, I am always up for an adventure. Experiencing new places, learning about new cultures, making memories and eating my way around Italy are some of the many reasons I love to travel.
One skill you’d like to learn? How to play the guitar.
What is your work environment like at this point? I am predominately virtual but have started the transition back into the building as we gear up for our Innovative: Direct from the LAB performances.
When did you save the day at work or felt that you made the most impact? It’s not a save the day but building relationships with our community partners has always been where I’ve felt I made the most impact. These partnerships allow us to provide educational programming in and out of schools, sensory performances, community dance classes and foster connections in and around Charlotte.
Ayisha McMillan Cravotta, Charlotte Ballet Academy Director
What are the activities that make you lose track of time? I love to ride bikes with my husband and our son! I feel so fortunate that we can do this as a family.
Once the world reopens, what are you most looking forward to doing? There are so many things I look forward to once it becomes safe again – mostly, I miss hugging people.
One skill you’d like to learn? I would love to learn how to tap dance!
What is your work environment like at this point? I have been working on site full-time since September, when the Academy re-opened for hybrid programming. Being there really makes me appreciate all of the team’s work and coordination that makes our facility run.
How do you think the ballet world needs to adapt in a post-COVID world, and is anything giving you optimism for the art form? I do have a sense of optimism about ballet in a post-COVID world. I hope that artists, students, and audiences being connected digitally in the ways we have during the pandemic will foster greater influences in ballet from other global dance forms. Also, while there is nothing like live performance, I have been inspired to witness this growth in dance created for digital space.
Photo by Isil Dohnke.
Traci Gilchrest Kubi, Rehearsal Director
What are the hobbies or activities that make you lose track of time? I’ve become addicted to TikTok and can easily waste an hour on MCU/dog vidoes. I also love to take kickboxing classes, which I’ve slowly started back at once gyms started opening. And cooking is my creative outlet.
Your trivia area of expertise? I’m kind of a food history nerd and love learning the origins of why we eat what we do and the origins of how it’s all advertised. And I could hold my own in an MCU/Star Wars trivia game.
Once the world reopens, what are you most looking forward to doing? As dancers, we are almost all pretty physically spontaneous. I miss the hugs of support I receive/get to give to our team of artists.
One skill you’d like to learn? I’d like to revisit my love of the Spanish language. Growing up in El Paso I was fairly fluent, but I’ve lost the verbal part of it since I’ve moved away. (Still pretty good at reading.) 
What is your work environment like at this point? We’ve been in person since about October. A Fairy Tailored Nutcracker was done successfully with safe practices, social distancing, and testing. We were able to do a successful run with masks and partnering. Now we are back at it for Innovative: Direct from the LAB – all in person rehearsing, partnering, teaching, etc. It’s wonderful to bring our art form back to a live audience.
Photo by Jeff Cravotta.
Shannon Link, Finance Director
What are the hobbies or activities that make you lose track of time? Riding my bike on the area greenways and spending time on the back patio
Your trivia area of expertise? I LOVE trivia! I watch Jeopardy religiously and pre-parenthood would go to pub trivia at least weekly. I am pretty solid on sports and music.
Once the world reopens, what are you most looking forward to doing? Traveling! I always have my next trip planned. One year of lockdown has crushed me! I can’t wait to go to the beach!
One skill you’d like to learn? I’d like to take up photography.
What is your work environment like at this point? Most Finance/Accounting work can be done from anywhere, but there are still a few things that can only be done in person. So I’ve been going to the office at least once every other week.
How do you think the ballet world needs to adapt in a post-COVID world, and is anything giving you optimism for the art form? The pandemic forced many businesses to review their online, digital presence. For Charlotte Ballet, I like to think that our digital presence has allowed us to reach new audiences who would otherwise not have been interested in attending a live show, but because of the pandemic, have watched a digital performance. This will hopefully translate to more Ballet fans post-pandemic.
