Mission
The Charlotte Cirque & Dance Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring people of diverse backgrounds to explore beyond their boundaries through dance and circus arts.​ Our vision is to create educational opportunities for people to experience the world, which will enrich their lives and the lives of those around them. ​
Our Values
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Community - Everyone is Welcomed!
Dance & Circus are art forms and not a sport.
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Technique as means to move your body safely and expression.
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Creative Thinking
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Our faculty and staff
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Our goals for you or your child
To encourage and inspire creativity, innovation and good healthy habits.
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To train performers to be expressive.
To build a strong foundation in dance and circus arts is key to exploring safely.
To improve health and fitness.
To instill an appreciation for the performing arts.
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Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility
Caroline Calouche & Co. / Charlotte Cirque & Dance Center is committed to fostering, cultivating and preserving a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. We embrace and encourage all students, artists, staff, and volunteers of age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make us unique.
We at the Charlotte Cirque & Dance Center pledge to:
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Strengthen our local community by creating opportunities for people of different backgrounds to have shared experiences through movement and the arts.
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Use our position to amplify the voices, stories, and histories of marginalized communities through movement
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Hold ourselves accountable and learn from past missteps.
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Ensure that all CC&Co spaces (theaters, offices, events) remain respectful, inclusive, and safe
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Foster conversations on the intersection of performative dance, classes in social and cultural dance disciplines and social change
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Be active listeners, respect existing knowledge, and avoid assumptions on how to best meet the needs of those in our local and artistic communities.
Land AcknowledgementÂ
The Charlotte Cirque & Dance Center recognizes that we are all here on the stolen land of the Waxhaw, Sugaree and Catawba and the many other tribes who have stewarded this land. We thank them for their stewardship of this land. We respect and honor the many lives lost, exploited, and otherwise harmed by the colonization of this land, and we recognize the intergenerational trauma passed down through the families of these indigenous peoples. The Charlotte Cirque & Dance Center is committed to including the experiences and perspectives of indigenous peoples as we continue on our equity journey.
History
2006
In 2006, Caroline Calouche & Co. was founded in Gastonia, NC, the hometown of its creator, Caroline Calouche. The company premiered its first contemporary dance work, titled "Risk," featuring founding dancers Kate Wanga, Natty Mncube, Jason Mayfield, and Caroline Calouche herself.​
2007
In 2007, Caroline Calouche performed her first aerial dance at an event for Charlotte event planners in the Wachovia atrium (now Wells Fargo) in downtown Charlotte. The performance featured a captivating 007 theme.
2008
In 2008, Caroline Calouche created her first evening-length show, titled The Macabre Masque. This innovative performance blended dance and aerial elements and was inspired by the literary works of Edgar Allan Poe.
2009
In 2009, the company relocated to Charlotte to access greater resources and opportunities.
2010
In 2010, the company moved into the middle studio space at the Carolina Actors Studio Theater, located in the former Charlotte Ballet space in the NoDa neighborhood.
2012
In 2012, the company relocated to Greylyn Business Park and performed at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. That same year, Caroline Calouche & Co. became a resident company at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center.
2012
In 2012, the company launched its first production of Clara's Trip.
2013
In 2013, the company debuted its first production of Rouge.
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2014 Star Gazer (First version)
2015 Carmina Burana
2017 Crossroads at First Ward Park
2018 Added a name for the school, Charlotte Cirque & Dance Center / Perspective off the Mint Museum in downtown charlotte
2019 Lingua
2020 Created Dance & Circus For All live stream show during the pandemic
2021 Created Animalia and Random Acts of Kindness, small cast shows that can be outdoors or inside for small venues spaces / performed these shows in Columbia, Sumter, Richmond and Charlotte
2022 Expanded touring of Rouge to the Southeast
2023 Awarded Best Dance Company by Queen City Nerve
2024 Clara's Trip goes on tour to Raleigh