Leadership
Gay porter
Emeritus
Gay Porter has been directing the Charlotte Youth Ballet for over 40 years. Prior to that, she directed the Charlotte Regional Ballet from 1974-1980. Gay founded the ballet department at Central Piedmont Community College where she taught for thirteen years. She now teaches at the Charlotte School of Ballet, which she owns.
Gay was trained at the Arts Educational School in London, England. Her first professional job was at Stratford-on-Avon in a musical version of Wind in the Willows. As a member of the British Equity, she danced professionally for seven years, touring the British Isles for nine months at age sixteen, and dancing in London’s West End in the original productions of The King and I and Kismet. She danced in Spain with Festival Ballet and the Ballet de M.Grandjear, and toured Germany for four months.
Gay also danced in film and television, and swam and danced in the Esther Williams Spectacular in London. After coming to the United States, Gay danced with the Southern California Ballet. She then moved to Charlotte where, for six seasons, she danced as a resident member of the Charlotte Summer Theater, performing in a different musical every week, all summer at Ovens Auditorium.
As a director, Gay has worked with Central Piedmont Community College and the Charlottetown Players. Her credits include The Hollow Crown, The Glass Menagerie, I’Enfant Prodigue, and Trial by Jury.
As a choreographer, Gay’s credits include many Charlotte Opera productions, the Lollipop Concerts with the Charlotte Symphony, and over thirty ballets for the Youth and Regional Ballets, including The Nutcracker.
In May 1994, Gay received the prestigious North Carolina School of the Arts Teacher of the Year award. She continues to teach ballet at The Charlotte School of Ballet.
Bridget porter young
Artistic Director
Bridget started classes at three under her mother’s tutelage, and dance has been a passion her entire life.
As a child, Bridget was selected to dance with New York City Ballet and Baryshnikov in Harlequinade for the Washington Season. She was invited to perform at the White House for President Carter during this time. She danced with Louisville Ballet, North Carolina Dance Theatre, and Ocala Ballet.
She toured the United States performing industrial shows and spent many summers performing in summer stock, including roles such as Jeannie in Brigadoon and Dream Laurie in Oklahoma.
She also appeared in All My Children and Guiding Light while living in New York. Bridget has choreographed many short works, ballets, and musicals, including South Pacific, The King and I, Once Upon a Mattress, Barnum, and Big River. She also choreographed and directed The Nutcracker for Pueblo Ballet as well as in South Dakota.
Bridget is an A.B.T. Certified Teacher who has completed the “A.B.T. Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 3.” She also holds the Teaching Certificate of the Royal Academy of Dance, London, England, and is a Licentiate of the Cecchetti Council of America.
Additionally, Bridget holds the American Academy of Ballet “Performance Award Certification” and Balanced Body mat pilates certification. She is the Chair of the Cecchetti Council of America, the Southeast Committee, and a mentor for the Royal Academy of Dance.
Mary reed
Ballet Mistress
Mary McCort Reed was raised in Kingsport, TN and began dancing at the age of five under the direction of Charles Ryburn.
She continued her instruction in ballet with Karen Gibbons-Brown at the Kingsport Guild of Ballet. While attending the University of Tennessee, Mary was invited to perform with the Appalachian Ballet, where she first performed in The Nutcracker.
After graduating with her bachelors degree in Architecture, Mary moved to Cleveland, TN. While there she developed a beginner adult and young dancer ballet program for the Cleveland YMCA. Mary moved to Charlotte in 2007 and soon found Ms. Porter and the Charlotte School of Ballet.
Mary and her daughter, Raleigh, became a part of the Charlotte School of Ballet family and shortly thereafter joined the Charlotte Youth Ballet. She has enjoyed many years of teaching ballet and performing alongside her daughter. Mary took on the role of Ballet Mistress for the Charlotte Youth Ballet in 2021.
This Season’s Featured Artists
Odemar Ocasio
Hardin Minor
Aureo Andino
Board of Directors
The Charlotte Youth Ballet is managed by a volunteer Board of Directors made up of professionals and leaders from all across the greater Charlotte area. Board members serve up to two consecutive 2-year terms. While the Executive Officers focus on the day-to-day operations of the Charlotte Youth Ballet, the Directors as a whole address such challenges as long-term planning, development, marketing, and social media, as well as growth and fundraising.
Are you interested in joining the board and being a part of CYB Leadership team?
Reach out to cyb@charlotteyouthballet.org for more information.
Executive Officers
Chair – Paula Buhrer
Chair-Elect – Kelli Gilreath
Treasurer – Heidi Keller
Secretary – Mathilda Joubert
Directors
Mary Darrenkamp
Meghan Lluberas
Nancy Betler
Nicolette Hodgkiss
Stephanie Costas