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 LEADERSHIP
HOPE MUIR
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Hope Muir became artistic director of Charlotte Ballet in 2017. Born in Toronto, Hope was a founding member of Peter Schaufuss’s London Festival Ballet School. Upon graduation she joined the company (now English National Ballet), and in 1994 Hope joined Rambert Dance Company with the appointment of Christopher Bruce CBE and danced a wide variety of repertoire from prolific choreographers, including Ek, Kylián, Naharin, Tharp, Tetley, De Frutos, Cunningham and over a dozen Bruce works. After ten years with the award winning RDC, she moved to Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and expanded her repertoire to include Forsythe, Duato and Lubovitch.
After a 20-year performance career, Hope became a sought after guest teacher and rehearsal director, coaching both classical and contemporary technique. She has worked with The National Ballet of Canada, English National Ballet, Rambert Dance Company and Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures Company. Hope has assisted numerous choreographers on setting their works internationally including Christopher Bruce CBE, Javier De Frutos and Helen Pickett, among others. She also assisted Crystal Pite on her creation Emergence for the National Ballet of Canada in 2009, was invited by Emily Molnar to be guest rehearsal director for Ballet BC and worked as rehearsal assistant for Hofesh Shechter’s creation Untouchable at the Royal Ballet, Covent Garden. Hope joined Scottish Ballet in 2009 and was promoted to assistant artistic director in 2015.
At the end of her first season with Charlotte Ballet, Hope had presented the work of eight new choreographers to the company along with two ballets making American premieres and the creation of five new ballets. She also established the highly successful Choreographic Lab.
CHRISTOPHER STUART
PROGRAM DIRECTOR CHARLOTTE BALLET II & REHEARSAL DIRECTOR
Christopher Stuart, originally from Sandy Hook, CT, was first introduced to the Arts by his grandmother, who frequently took him to see performances of all types of ballet and musical theatre. This was where Christopher first fell in love with the stage. He began his formal training with Steve Sirico, Angela D’valda Sirico, Franco De Vita and Raymond Lukens, and now with a child of his own, he understands why the arts are so important to enriching our community, especially its children.
In 2002 Christopher graduated from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Upon graduation he joined Nashville Ballet where he was featured in works by renowned choreographers such as Nashville Ballet’s Artistic Director Paul Vasterling, Jiri Kylian, Gina Patterson, Christopher Bruce, Christopher Wheeldon and numerous others. After a 16-year career with Nashville Ballet as a principal dancer, choreographer, and teacher, he was appointed as their Resident Choreographer in 2018, creating over 10 works during his tenure. During this time Christopher concurrently taught and created new works for schools and companies all across America. His passion for teaching is rooted in his conviction to share the techniques and choreography that he has gleaned over his career.
Christopher’s vast experience as a dancer and performer helped him articulate his choreographic voice through improvisation and exploration of different forms of movement. Embarking upon his journey as a choreographer has allowed him to further express himself in a free and limitless way. He has created works for Nashville Ballet, Ballet Arkansas, Chattanooga Ballet, National Choreographers Initiative, Charlotte Ballet, various festivals, and commercial work.
In 2014, he created Under the Lights, a full-length work to the music of Johnny Cash performed by Sugar & The Hi-Lows about which ArtsNash said “Stuart’s choreography proved to be a seamless blend of classical, modern and popular dance styles.” In 2015, Stuart had the pleasure of choreographing a piece to the music of the world-renowned Fisk Jubilee Singers.
Christopher brought music lovers and dance enthusiasts together by collaborating with some of the music industry’s best including, Maren Morris, Sheryl Crow, Ronnie Dunn (Brooks & Dunn), John Oates (Hall & Oates), Kellie Pickler, and John Carter Cash (son of Johnny and June Carter Cash).
His artistic achievements won him the 2010 Tennessee Arts Commission Individual Artist Fellowship, one of the highest honors that a Tennessee artist can receive. Christopher was a finalist in Ballet Arkansas’ 2014 Visions Choreographic Competition, as well as a finalist in the 17th Annual Choreography Festival which was held at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert, California. In 2016 and 2017 he was awarded a Fellowship Initiative Grant from the New York Choreographic Institute, an affiliate of New York City Ballet. In July 2017 he created a new work for the National Choreographer’s Initiative in Irvine, California, and in the same year created a new work for Nashville Ballet entitled The Raven after Edgar Allan Poe’s poem. In 2018, to rave reviews, Christopher created Seven Deadly Sins with new music written and sung by Ten out of Tenn, and the Nashville Symphony.
Christopher created for Charlotte Ballet’s Innovative Works in 2020, inspired by the Mint Museum’s installation of Immersed in Light by studio DRIFT.
Under the direction of Hope Muir, Christopher was appointed Program Director of Charlotte Ballet II and Rehearsal Director for the main Company in July of 2020. He is excited and proud to be part of the Charlotte Ballet family and community, and lives in Huntersville with his beautiful wife Olivia, daughter Ryan, and dog Moose. They felt as a family that the Charlotte area was the perfect fit for them and a great place to raise children. Consistently growing, the Queen City understands the importance of performing arts disciplines like ballet; an important part of the community’s culture and attraction.
When not at the Ballet you can find him on the golf course, watching live sports, and spending time with his family.
Christopher is looking forward to taking on the role as Interim Artistic Director of the Charlotte Ballet. Where he envisions a continuation of attracting amazing talent, new choreographic voices, presenting repertoire that engrosses and excites the audience, and to carry on the fostering of an inclusive, supportive working environment that gives opportunities to individuals to grow as artists and people.
TRACI GILCHREST-KUBIE
REHEARSAL DIRECTOR
Traci Gilchrest-Kubie was born in El Paso, TX and danced professionally for Hartford Ballet, Ballet Arizona, Chautauqua Ballet and Charlotte Ballet. During her 20-year career, she danced many leading roles by George Balanchine, Paul Taylor, William Forsythe, Alonzo King, Mark Diamond and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux. She has been a guest teacher for Alvin Ailey, The Rock School in Philadelphia and East Carolina University. She retired from Charlotte Ballet in 2011 after a 16-year career to serve as Repetiteur for the Charlotte Ballet and Charlotte Ballet II. She is an instructor with the Charlotte Ballet Academy and in addition stages ballets on Complexions Contemporary Ballet and Carolina Ballet Theatre among others. In 2009 she was celebrated by the Chautauqua Dance Circle for her “extraordinary artistry and contributions to Chautauqua Dance.”
MISHA EADY-HARBOLD
DIRECTOR OF ARTISTIC OPERATIONS
Misha joined Charlotte Ballet’s administrative team in 2015, after a 13 year career as a professional ballet dancer, performing in works such as Septime Webre’s Where the Wild Things Are and William Starrett’s Off the Wall and Onto the Stage: Dancing the Art of Jonathan Green, which featured the artists’ vibrant depictions of Gullah culture in lowcountry South Carolina. She has a BA in Arts Management from the College of Charleston, and Master’s in Public Administration from UNC Charlotte, with a concentration in nonprofit management. She also serves as chair of the Dance/USA Company Manager Affinity Group, and is a lifetime member of both Phi Kappa Phi and Pi Alpha Alpha honor societies. She and her husband Andrew live in Charlotte with their Great Dane, Beaux.
PRODUCTION STAFF
For costume, equipment and production rental inquiries contact Christopher Riebold.
