Katie Boren - Paris, France

Alessandra James - Knight Theater, Charlotte

When I think of art and dance, I think of community, nourishment for the soul, the importance of togetherness, and the connectivity of all human beings. Dance is beautiful story telling to whisk you away from your everyday life only to bring you back emoting, energized and engaged.

Through this pandemic I’ve seen how courageous artists near and far have been with their creativity. The dance community has begun to adapt in how we connect to our audiences. As incredible and inspiring as this change has been, we miss feeling our audience, our community right before our eyes, their energy fueling us for the performance. I miss being on stage, telling a story or offering up the freedom for the audience to interpret their own. This engagement in my own community is how I can help overcome the challenges that COVID-19 has brought. Over the past 50 years Charlotte Ballet has become one of the city’s most cherished arts organizations, and through it all we have demonstrated our resilience. Please consider donating to Charlotte Ballet’s Resilience Fund to keep us dreaming and inspiring for another 50 years. - Alessandra James ballerina with the Charlotte Ballet