Join "Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey and special guest Charlene Campbell Carey
In this episode of "Dance Talk” ® , host Joanne Carey speaks with Charlene Campbell Carey, the Artistic Director of Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre and president of Ballet Beyond Borders. They discuss Charlene's journey in dance, the unique ballets created in Montana, and the importance of cultural relevance in dance. Charlene shares insights about her organization, which fosters cultural exchange and harmony through dance. She shares the impact of personal loss on her artistic vision. The conversation also touches on the challenges of international collaboration, the role of improvisation in performances, and the exciting future projects and tours planned for Ballet Beyond Borders.
Charlene Campbell Carey’s career in ballet and choreography began in 1976 and branched into entertainment and diplomacy. Studying ballet in Chicago and training on scholarship throughout high school at the National Academy of Arts, led her to American Ballet Theatre where she also became a member of the faculty and assistant to Director Patricia Wilde. Ms. Campbell danced at Radio City Music Hall, choreographed for Chicago’s “Light Opera Works” and served on the faculty for Lou Conte and the Hubbard Street Dance Company.
Ms. Campbell's career spans hundreds of ballets, operas, night club acts, and industrials.
In 1998, Ms. Campbell founded Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre in Missoula, Montana. 2008, prior to the Olympic Games, Ms. Campbell led the RMBT delegation to Beijing, Guilin, Yangshou, Shanghai, and Suzhou China. The tour was a diplomatic and artistic success, returning to China October 2008 to participate in the Beijing Dance Academy International Ballet Competition as a master teacher and coach.
RMBT began a tradition of offering performances in Montana for former Senator Max Baucus, visiting Ambassadors and diplomats. RMBT has toured Europe and participated in an official Trade Mission with Senator Max Baucus to both Brazil and Colombia in 2011.
Ms. Campbell continues to create ballets with topics relevant to Montana, showcasing and informing the community about the facts of Ebola, Polio, HPV, Dengue Fever , West Nile , and Influenza. The Gates Foundation utilized the Polio Ballet as an educational tool internationally.
RMBT was thrilled to represent the USA & Montana in Gala performances and opening ceremony events for the prestigious Salzburg Music Festival & in collaboration with the Salzburg Ballet in Austria.
In 2014, RMBT embarked to China on an official USA State Department tour of the Henan and Guangxi Provinces. RMBT was presented in Beijing by the National Ballet of China at the Tianquio Theater and participated in cultural exchanges throughout the three week tour including a memorable day with the Chinese Disabled Performance Troupe as facilitated by USA Ambassador to China Max Baucus and accompanied by his wife Melodee Hanes Baucus.
RMBT currently has an active, unprecedented and successful partnership with Lizt Alfonso in Havana, Cuba. Both USA & Cuba arts organizations are working in harmony via the arts and people to people global understanding projects. The next BBB Festival will be in Cuba January 2025 . BBB also has a feature film in development titled “Rain Balls” which celebrates love and the process of living and dying through a Mother and Childs experience with cancer and chemotherapy.
She has continued to teach and choreograph commissions across the United States, Europe, South America and Asia.
Learn about RMBT and Ballet Beyond Borders
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“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey
"Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."