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 STAFF
ALEJANDRO CERRUDO
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Alejandro Cerrudo was born in Madrid, Spain. His professional career includes work with Victor Ullate Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Nederlands Dans Theater 2 and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (HSDC). Cerrudo became HSDC’s first-ever resident choreographer in 2008 and held that position until 2018.
Cerrudo’s body of work has been performed by over 20 professional dance companies around the world. Honors include an award from the Boomerang Fund for Artists (2011) and the Prince Prize for Commissioning Original Work from the Prince Charitable Trusts (2012) for his acclaimed, first evening-length work, One Thousand Pieces. In 2014 he was awarded the USA Donnelley Fellowship by United States Artists. Also, Cerrudo was one of four choreographers invited by New York City Ballet’s Wendy Whelan to create and perform original duets for Restless Creatures. In 2017 Cerrudo was invited by Daniil Simkin to choreograph a site-specific performance for the Guggenheim Rotunda, a Works & Process Rotunda Project commission, featuring Daniil Simkin and original costumes by Dior. Cerrudo’s Sleeping Beauty, created with Ballet Theater Basel in 2016, was nominated as “Production of the Year” in Switzerland in the “Tanz, Jahrbuch 2016” by the Neue Zürcher Zeitung.
In 2020 Cerrudo was appointed Pacific Northwest Ballet’s resident choreographer, with that, he became the first artist in the company’s history to have the honor of holding that title. Independently, he directed and choreographed his show, “It Starts Now,” which premiered in 2020 at The Joyce Theater in New York. In 2022, Cerrudo was appointed artistic director of Charlotte Ballet.
CHRISTOPHER STUART
DIRECTOR CHARLOTTE BALLET II
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 Director Charlotte Ballet II and Rehearsal Director for the main Company in July of 2020. In 2021, he served as interim artistic director. He is excited and proud to be part of the Charlotte Ballet family and community, and lives in Huntersville with his beautiful wife Olivia, daughters, 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.
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.”
Yarina Conners
DIRECTOR OF ARTISTIC OPERATIONS
Yarina Conners began her non-profit arts management career at The Cleveland Orchestra in 2008, managing all operations of three youth choruses, in addition to working with the renowned Cleveland Orchestra Chorus. From 2010-2016, Yarina worked as Senior Operations Manager at Classical Movements, a premiere concert touring company located in historic Old Town Alexandria in Virginia. While at Classical Movements, Yarina arranged orchestral tours for The Minnesota Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. She also arranged international and national tours for choral ensembles and produced an international choral festival in Washington, DC. Joining the artistic planning team at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland in 2016, Yarina served as Artistic Administrator for the programming department. Focusing specifically on the operational and administrative aspects of the presenting program, Yarina played a key role as the liaison for the artistic planning team with the various departments of The Clarice. In January 2022, Yarina joined the Charlotte Ballet as Director of Artistic Operations.
Yarina emigrated from Moscow, Russia in 1994 to Cleveland, Ohio and earned her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music in 2008. After spending ten years in the Washington, DC area from 2010-2020, her family relocated to Charlotte in December 2020. Yarina currently resides in South Charlotte with her family.
For costume, equipment and production rental inquiries contact Aaron Muhl.
