
CC&DC Company
CC&DC Company​
Candidates for CC&DC Company meet the following expectations:
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You intend to make dance and/or circus arts a major focus in your life right now.
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You want to perform a lot.
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You have time in your schedule or can make time to allow for required training and rehearsals.
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You have a high maturity level
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Student Company Performance Requirements
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August 14 - 18: Choreography Week: UNCSA dance and CDF/Spring Forward group dance
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October 21: Tricks and Treats at CC&DC
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December 5 - 10: Caroline Calouche & Co.'s Clara's Trip
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March 1 – March 3: University of NC School of the Arts: Ages 12 - 18 (must attend the weekend of events even if the dance work adjudicated is not selected.)
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March TBD: Charlotte Dance Festival produced by Dance Artist Alliance CLT
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April 12 - 13: Spring Forward
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April 2024 TBD: International Circus & Dance Celebration
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May 9 - 11: Spring Student Showcase / The Wizard of Oz
Junior Student Company Performance Requirements​
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October 21: Tricks and Treats at CC&DC
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December 5 - 10: Caroline Calouche & Co.'s Clara's Trip (if selected through Sept. 9 audition)
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March 1 – March 3: University of NC School of the Arts: Ages 12 - 18 (if selected by Director)
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March TBD: Charlotte Dance Festival produced by Dance Artist Alliance CLT (if selected by Director)
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April 12 - 13: Spring Forward
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April 2024 TBD: International Circus & Dance Celebration
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May 9 - 11: Spring Student Showcase / The Wizard of Oz
Attendance Requirements for both Jr. and Company
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Cannot miss any rehearsals, performances, or classes due to school functions like choir, band, dance, cheerleading. This is your focus and your priority.
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This is in addition to being in the Training Program at CC&DC and taking a minimum of 4 hours of class per week.
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1 unexcused absence ​
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Excused absences are due to illness, injury, urgent family commitments and religious commitments.
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Unexcused absences are absences that are due to any reason not mentioned above. Chorus concerts, theatrical plays, sports events, or family vacations are not excusable. CC&DC Student Company is priority. Please adjust your schedule to accommodate.
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If you are unsure if an absence is acceptable for any reason, please ask.
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Weekly rehearsals: Wednesdays 7pm - 9pm
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Additional Rehearsal Days (pending show): Friday evenings or Saturday afternoons
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Production Schedule posted a minimum of 4 weeks in advance and any changes made 2 weeks in advance.
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Student Company Training Requirements​
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Minimum Number of Training Hours per Week: 6 hours (not including rehearsals)
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Minimum Number of Group Class or Private Class Hours per week at CC&DC: 4
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The remaining 2 hours can be done either with additional group classes (at CC&DC or at another studio) or personal training.
- Participants will keep a Personal Training Log.
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Minimum Required Summer Training Hours: 40 (10 max personal training, all other hours can be done at CC&DC or another dance and/or circus training facility)
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Annual Fee: $300
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Junior Student Company Training Requirements​
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Minimum Number of Training Hours per Week: 5 hours (not including rehearsals)
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Minimum Number of Group Class or Private Class Hours per week at CC&DC: 3
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The remaining 2 hours can be done either with additional group classes (at CC&DC or at another studio) or personal training.
- Participants will keep a Personal Training Log.
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Minimum Required Summer Training Hours: 40 (10 max personal training, all other hours can be done at CC&DC or another dance and/or circus training facility)
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Annual Fee: $300
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Questions? Contact company@cltcirquedancecenter.org.
Meet the CC&DC Company

Maya Anavim was originally born in New York City, New York. While living there she took up dancing, and quickly fell in love with the style of Modern. At age five she joined the DanceWave Youth Company in Brooklyn New York, taking classes in ballet and modern for two years. After moving on from DanceWave at age eight she began taking ballet and modern at Creative Arts Dance Studio, shortly after joining their student modern company. After Covid-19 began she moved to Charlotte with her parents and two sisters and began taking silks at CC&Co., and fell in love with circus and the atmosphere at Charlotte Cirque and Dance shortly after. Maya is now thirteen years old and in seventh grade, and attends Northwest School of Arts as a dance and Ballet major. She looks forward to learning new apparatuses and continuing to be a part of the student company.

Mahalia Esposito Although she has been dancing since age 4, Mahalia Esposito found love at first sight when she saw her first cirque performance in 2019. Her passion was truly ignited once she began taking classes shortly thereafter and Charlotte Cirque and Dance quickly became like a second home for her. Combining the joy she finds in dance and in being in the air, Mahalia especially loves working on aerial silks and lyra. Mahalia is also a dedicated student and talented visual artist. She is currently finishing her last year at Matthews Elementary School and will then attend Randolph Middle School's IB program.

Emerson Kelley Emerson loves being active and performing, so she was a perfect fit for competitive gymnastics, which she began at the age of 6. With the COVID shutdown, she began exploring new areas to satisfy her continued interest in performing and discovered Charlotte Cirque and Dance, which checked both boxes while also granted her the creative freedom to participate in the choreography. She began her training in Aerial Silks and Partner Acrobatics with her twin sister, Payton, and since then she has participated in CC&D Creation Lab where she gained new experience in dance and choreography, while building on her aerial silks and acrobatics skills. She loves a challenge and her CC&D training provides that challenge. In the short time with CC&D, she has quickly realized how exciting dance and choreography are and how she can take advantage of her gymnastic background to develop in all disciplines offered by CC&D. Emerson is now 14 years old and in 8th grade. While not training at CC&D, she enjoys traveling with her family, snowboarding with her sister and taking advantage of outdoor activities in the NC mountains.

Payton Kelley Payton has loved tumbling and performance as long as she can remember. She started competitive gymnastics at the age of 6 and trained/competed until COVID impeded her progress. In 2021, she discovered Charlotte Cirque and Dance and she has not looked back since. She began her training in Aerial Silks and Partner Acrobatics with her twin sister, Emerson, and since then she has participated in CC&D Creation Lab where she experienced dance, choreography, aerial silks and acrobatics. She is eager to continue her cirque and dance training and especially looks forward to the performances. This year she has quickly realized her enjoyment of dance and choreography and is excited to learn the many forms of dance while incorporating aerial silks and partner acrobatics. Payton is now 14 years old and in 8th grade. While not training at CC&D, she enjoys traveling with her family, snowboarding and home design.

Lydia Schmidt has been dancing since age two, training in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Acro, and Contemporary. She discovered cirque training at age six and loved how it combined Dance, Acro, and climbing like a monkey. Lydia has performed with Elite Academy of Dance and Imagine Youth Theater in Pinehurst, NC. She appeared in the 2021 production of Clara's Trip. She has enjoyed performing in Charlotte festivals such as Festival in the Park and Fall for Matthews. Lydia hopes to someday learn flying trapeze and teeterboard. She is a fifth grader at Beverly Woods Elementary. When she is not doing cirque, Lydia likes to do crafts and play with friends.