STAFF & TEACHING ARTISTS

LORRAINE CRITTENDON

Lorraine, originally from Indianapolis, IN, graduated from UNC Charlotte in 2012 with a B.A. in Dance. Classically trained, Lorraine has a focus in Latin and African dance arts. She currently teaches middle and high school dance for a local title one charter school and is an active member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. As a dance professional, she currently trains with three active Charlotte dance companies and is the newest teaching artist for Charlotte Ballet. Lorraine will receive her NC state certificate for Dance Education this Spring 2019; after which she’ll begin her masters in Dance from UNC Greensboro.

JAVONNE M. GBENYON-SPEARMAN

Javonne, originally from West Africa, Liberia, had an early interest to learn cultural diversity of all dance genres. Javonne’s college studies included folk/traditional dance forms under Mrs. Eleanor Gwynn of the E. Gwynn Dance Company at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. Javonne received a dual BA degree in Interdisciplinary Studies/Special Education and Dance/Performing Arts with honors. Currently, Javonne is a high school instructor teaching Creative Movement/Dance, and Performing Arts drama and theater classes at Sugar Creek Charter High School.

ROBIN GRAY-BISHOP

Robin is a Julliard graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree and has graduated from the University of North Carolina in Charlotte with a teaching certificate in Dance Education. Currently, she is teaching dance at Waddell Language Academy. She has studied at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the American Ballet Theatre and Alvin Ailey American Dance Center. Her performance credits include being a featured dancer in the films; The Wiz and Fame and principal dancer for Jubilation! Dance Company. Robin is a talented, mature dance professional; highly trained in modern, ballet and jazz with over twenty-five years of dance, teaching and choreographic experience.

GRETCHEN JAX

Gretchen graduated from Winthrop University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance Performance. She performed in Meredith Monk’s Obie Award-winning Quarry at the 2003 Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC. In 2006, she was one of eight selected to study at the School of Jacob’s Pillow Choreographer’s Lab. Gretchen is the co-founder of Sinergismo, a group of dancers, artists, poets, and musicians using collaboration as a means to produce choreographic works. Gretchen currently teaches modern at Davidson College and choreographs for their dance company The Gamut. Gretchen has been a faculty member at Charlotte Ballet Academy since 2003. Gretchen also teaches a Dance for Parkinson’s class, classes for special needs adults and senior dance classes.

KIESHA JENNINGS

Kiesha “Marie” Jennings started out dancing at the age of 19 years old peaking her interest of dance by teaching herself from YouTube Hiphop videos. From there she expanded her knowledge of the dance world through her time at Fayetteville State University where she honed and trained her talent and skills under the direction of Avis Hatcher-Puzzo in a Raleigh based dance company “Koffee” and the underground scene of street dance in Fayetteville. During the few years she spent in Fayetteville, Kiesha was able to explore a multitude styles of dance and performance opportunities while developing and crafting her own. Now based in Charlotte, she started off as an intern at Dance District and moved on to teach locally in after-school dance programs and community classes while continuing her education in Dance Therapy.  She enjoys inspiring movement and the freedom of creative expression for all communities to experience the joy of dance and other arts.

AMBER JOHNSON

Amber Johnson is a Charlotte-based dance artist who began dancing at age seven and trained in ballet, modern, and jazz. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in international studies with minors in French and dance from UNCC in 2010. From 2004-2019, she performed classical and contemporary ballet roles with Dance Central. Amber freelance dances professionally with local dance companies and choreographers in the Charlotte area. She has performed internationally in Belgium, France, and Canada. She expanded her inclusive dance journey in 2019 at the American Dance Festival where AXIS Dance Company, an ensemble of disabled and non-disabled performers, offered a look into its  creative process and inclusive approach. Amber furthered her inclusive training by attending a week-long intensive in Atlanta, GA with the Full Radius Dance Company.  Amber received an Artist Support Grant from the North Carolina Arts Council in 2022 to choreograph her new work, Rôles Renversés. She is both honored and thrilled to announce she is a 2023 Arts & Science Council Emerging Creators Fellowship recipient.

HALLIE MACAULEY

Hallie MacAulay began her dance journey at age four at and quickly realized ballet would be a match for life. She started her dance journey with The School of Classical Ballet in Cambridge MA. She then went on to train at Koltun Ballet during her high school years where she was able to preform numerous roles throughout her time there. She was delighted to then be accepted into UNCSA in Winston Salem NC, for a ballet degree. Which then allowed her to preform varied roles in the Nutcracker, La Sylphide, Petals and many other performances and pieces. Hallie not only loves preforming but she also adores getting to introduce kids to the world of dancing and is so excited to get to bring her deep love of ballet to each Charlotte ballet student she comes in contact with!

DEBORAH MAINE

Deborah Maine holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dance with a concentration in performance and choreography from Coker University. Maine began her professional career with Wanda Ebright and The Wanda Project. Maine completed her independent study in Barbados with the National Cultural Foundation and also performed with Jennifer Sealy and company while there. After graduating Coker, Maine was accepted into the college program at Walt Disney World and performed in “The Festival of the Lion King”. Shortly after Disney Maine was accepted into Philadelphia Dance Company’s training program D2 and trained and performed a season. Maine currently resides in Charlotte where she has performed and choreographed for On Q Productions under the leadership of Quentin Talley. Maine has worked with Project LIFT and North Carolina Wolftrap through the Arts and Science Council. Maine also managed all performing artist programming at the Harvey B Gantt Centers tribute to Dance Theater of Harlem’s 40 Years of Firsts exhibition. Maine is currently choreographing with the Sycamore Project under the direction of Mrs. Latanya Johnson and is a member of Ashley Suttlar-Martin’s 4th Right Dance Company. Maine’s most recent educational teaching experience was with St(Arts) under the guidance of Stacey McConnell at Winthrop University. Maine is excited to be working with Charlotte Ballet.

ELSIE MUFUKA

Elsie Mufuka is originally from Gardens Corner, SC. The blood that runs through her veins is from Zimbabwe, Africa. Her beginning pre-professional training is credited to Shannon Kelly of Kelly Studios in Georgia. Mufuka’s education includes Masters of Arts Administration from Winthrop University and dual Bachelor of Art degrees in Dance under the direction of Angela Gallo and Dr. Wanda Ebright and Communications. Some of her references, the Amy Marshall Dance Company residency of New York City, The Wanda Project, and Choreographer/Mentor Natty Mncube. After her undergraduate completion, she accepted her first professional opportunity in Johannesburg, South Africa with Ntsoana Contemporary Dance Theatre director Sello Pesa, Taelo Dance Theatre-Gustin Makgeledisa, DTL Entertainment-TumieLetsoenyo, and Lorcia Cooper.  Mufuka currently works with Charlotte Ballet Reach! (nationally recognized community engagement sponsorship program) going on for 10 years and counting, curator for Boom Festival, University of North Carolina Charlotte clinical dance educator, and dance educator for McClintock Middle School. Mufuka is the Founder/Creative Director of MufukaWorks Dance Company that focuses on dance education and dance performance for 14 years. Mufuka has been awarded NC Dance Educator of the Year, Top 20 Teacher of the Year of UCPS, and Diamond Award Winner for McClintock Middle.

FREDDIE D. RIVERA

PERCUSSIONIST

Freddie began drumming at the early age of five with the Cuban Conga drum. He began studying the Djembe drum with lead musician of the Chuck Davis Dance Company, Mr. Ronald Love. Freddie has worked with Lee Strasberg School of Acting, Myers T’chaka Ensemble, Dance Africa New York, Stevie Wonder, Stacey Latersaw, National Ballet of Guinea West Africa, Chuck Davis and the African American Dance Ensemble. Freddie can be noted as one of the first musicians to perform Ballet Monsoka. In 1992 he was the first drummer to open the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre School to traditional Guinea style drumming. Freddie is currently working in the education and outreach department with Charlotte Ballet.

ASHLEY SUTTLAR MARTIN

Ashley Suttlar Martin, a Charlotte-based teaching artist, holds an MFA in dance from Temple University and a BFA in dance performance and choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University. She has been involved in arts integration programs for various school systems and community outreach organizations. Ashley developed and implemented the dance minor curriculum at Morehead State University (KY), and was a contributing author of the 2020 Dance Curriculum Guide for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (NC). She has served on the faculty of several colleges, universities, and performing arts schools in N.C. and S.C. Ashley has also danced professionally for companies based in Philadelphia and New York City, and her work has been presented nationwide. She is currently a faculty member at Johnson C. Smith University and an A+ Fellow for the North Carolina Arts Council. This is her 11th season with Charlotte Ballet.