His choreography has been featured in pieces performed to music by world-renowned artists.
BIRMINGHAM, AL, June 18, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Christopher Stuart has been inducted into Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Since 2023, Mr. Stuart has held the title of artistic director of the Alabama Ballet, a role in which he is responsible for teaching, rehearsing, and choreographing ballet, including both classical and contemporary works. Additionally, he collaborates with the marketing, finance, and production departments and oversees budgeting for the artistic aspects of the company. Moreover, he is involved in strategic planning and works closely with the director of development and executive director along with the board of directors to secure donors and sponsors.
Alongside his directorial responsibilities, Mr. Stuart ensures that the school's students are receiving top-tier training by working with the director of operations and the director of curriculum. Prior to his current role with the Alabama Ballet, he served as the director of Charlotte Ballet II and the rehearsal director at Charlotte Ballet from 2020 to 2023. During this period, he also functioned as the interim artistic director from 2021 to 2022.
Mr. Stuart's tenure at the Charlotte Ballet was marked by significant achievements, including creating "Innovative Works" inspired by the Mint Museum's installation of "Immersed in Light" by studio DRIFT in 2020. Before his time at Charlotte Ballet, he worked as the resident choreographer at the Nashville Ballet from 2014 to 2020 and as a principal dancer there from 2002 to 2017. His notable works during that period of his professional career include "Seven Deadly Sins" with new music written and sung by Ten out of Tenn and the Nashville Symphony in 2018, as well as "The Raven", a new work for the Nashville Ballet in 2017, which was inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's well-known poem.
Alongside these creative works, Mr. Stuart's career is distinguished by numerous collaborations with renowned artists and institutions. He has created works for the Nashville Ballet, Ballet Arkansas, the Chattanooga Ballet, the National Choreographers Initiative, and the Charlotte Ballet as well as for various festivals and commercial projects. His choreography has been featured in pieces performed to music by world-renowned artists such as Maren Morris, Sheryl Crow, Ronnie Dunn from Brooks & Dunn, John Oates from Hall & Oates, Kellie Pickler, and John Carter Cash, the son of Johnny and June Carter Cash. Additionally, he has been featured in works by esteemed choreographers, including Paul Vasterling, Jiri Kylian, Gina Patterson, Christopher Bruce, and Christopher Wheeldon.
Growing up, Mr. Stuart's passion for the arts was sparked by his grandmother, who regularly brought him to watch ballet and musical theatre performances, thereby igniting his love for the stage at an early age. After earning his high school diploma, he pursued coursework in dance at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and received formal training under the guidance of esteemed mentors. Mr. Stuart was awarded an Individual Artist Fellowship from the Tennessee Arts Commission in 2010 and went on to become a finalist in both Ballet Arkansas' Visions Choreographic Competition in 2014 and the 17th Annual Choreography Festival at McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert, California. Additionally, he was awarded two Fellowship Initiative Grants for Choreography from the New York Choreographic Institute in 2016 and 2017.
Outside of his professional life and accomplishments, Mr. Stuart is a devoted husband and parent to two daughters. He enjoys spending time with his family and playing golf. As the artistic director of the Alabama Ballet, he has goals to both expand, elevate, and diversify the company's repertoire by incorporating new stories and engaging with a broader range of choreographers. Moreover, he remains focused on expanding the school with plans to introduce a new day program tailored for students with flexible schedules—a pioneering initiative in Alabama—and seeks to bolster the budget and increase community engagement through regular performances while establishing educational programs that will bring ballet and dance to communities across Alabama.
About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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