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 uptown 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 Theatre (CAST), 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, a contemporary twist on the holiday classic The Nutcracker.
2013
In 2013, the company debuted its first production of Rouge: A Cirque & Dance Cabaret.
2014
In 2014, the company debuted Stargazer, inspired by a children's book of a similar title. This show was a milestone for the company, as it was the first to incorporate projection and video mapping.
2015
in 2015, the company launched its first production of Carmina Burana, bringing Carl Orff’s iconic composition to life.
2017
In 2017, the company presented Crossroads at First Ward Park, an original work supported by the Knight Foundation. The production explored the rich history of Charlotte, highlighting the intersection of multiple cultures dating back to Native American trading pathways.
2018
In 2018, Charlotte Cirque & Dance Center was added as the official name for our school—because people kept thinking the "Calouche" of Caroline Calouche & Co. was a dance technique! The new name better encompasses the wide range of circus and dance styles we teach.
2018
In 2018, the company presented Perspective, supported by the Knight Foundation. This groundbreaking vertical dance performance took place on the side of the Mint Museum in Uptown, transforming the museum's exterior into a stunning stage that blended movement and architecture.
2019
In 2019, the company debuted Lingua, a physical theater piece blending dance and circus elements to explore how language shapes our perception of the world
2020
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the company created Dance & Circus For All, a live-streamed show that provided a platform for out-of-work dance and circus artists. Sponsored by the Arts & Science Council, the project brought together talented performers to create a repertory show, which was broadcast virtually and from our studio.
2021
In 2021, the company created Animalia and Random Acts of Kindness, two small-cast shows that could be performed indoors or outdoors. These performances were presented in Columbia, Sumter, Richmond, and Charlotte.
2022
In 2022, the company launched its first tour of Rouge: A Cirque & Dance Cabaret, bringing its captivating blend of acrobatics, dance, and cabaret to Asheville, Greensboro, and Raleigh.
2023
In 2023, the company was proudly awarded Best Dance Company by Queen City Nerve, as recognized by Nerve critics in their annual Best in the Nest feature.
2023
In 2023, the company remounted a more refined version of Stargazer, once again taking audiences on a cosmic journey through the solar system.
2024
In 2024, the company expanded its touring efforts by bringing its beloved annual holiday show, Clara's Trip, to Raleigh.