Our Story
The Carolina’s Latin Dance Company (CLDC) was founded in 2001, in Charlotte, North Carolina to fulfill the aspirations of Latin American children and their families who expressed an interest in preserving their Hispanic/Latino heritages through traditional music and dances, as well as the excitement of sharing it with others.
CLDC is a non-profit organization that prides itself in employing the most authentic representation of Latin American folkloric dance to help promote cultural acceptance and understanding in our community.
Our objective is to provide opportunities for cultural enrichment through performances with an educational component presented both in English and Spanish, that bring together not only people of Latin American backgrounds, but people of all cultures. This creates an enjoyable environment of diverse cultures and traditions, where the community can learn about each other, and where cultural awareness and acceptance is promoted.
What We Do
Your child will be immersed into a bilingual environment as dance steps and music are all in Spanish, while most of the class is taught in English.
Our beginners typically get a basic foundation of form and ballet and we focus on posture, stage presence and technique throughout the year. We cover different music types, dances, and the histories of each from South and Central America as well as Spain. During the year we also teach the basics of modern Latin dances such as Merengue, Bachata, and Salsa. All students will work towards our annual performance that culminates on an esteemed Blumenthal Performing Arts Center stage, where depending on their level of talent and dedication they will perform at least 2-3 dances, if not more!
OUR MISSION
To promote cultural understanding and acceptance through the performance of folkloric dances from South America, Central America and Spain.
Board of Directors
Caitlin Russell
President
Maura Mendez
Vice President
Carmen Culpepper
Treasurer
Mary Posse
Secretary
Staff
Gladys Gomez
Executive Director
Gina Cherry
Lead Choreographer & Artistic Director
Melissa Mallay
Teacher Assistant
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