Call it raw talent, a passion, or maybe even a calling, but there is no denying that Charlotte Erickson possesses a special gift that enabled her to defy the odds in one of the most demanding and competitive spheres of the performing arts. Charlotte, a rising high school sophomore, recently became one of the youngest ballerinas ever to become a contracted dancer with the Philadelphia Ballet, placing her in the company of some of the most elite dancers in the world.
From the very beginning, Charlotte seemed destined to become a dancer. Her father, a former college basketball player, and her mother, once a cheerleader and dancer herself, Charlotte was born with sheer athleticism, grace and coordination that was immediately apparent. She first hit the stage at the age of 4, and was a natural performer, winning her very first dance competition at the unlikely age of 5. It didn’t take long before she was taking classes of all kinds – jazz, tap, and even hip hop, but it soon became clear that ballet was her first love. “I’ve wanted to be a ballerina for as long as I can remember”, says Charlotte. “I love all forms of dance, but especially ballet because it combines precision, strength and grace.” By elementary school, Charlotte was attending classes five days a week at Debra Sparks Dance Works in Newtown, where she immediately stood out. “Even at the age of 7, I knew Charlotte had the potential to become a professional ballerina. She was born with flexibility and a facility needed for ballet and she performed with the professionalism and maturity of one much older. She also had an exemplary work ethic."
It was a selective summer program at the School of Pennsylvania Ballet (now the School of Philadelphia Ballet) where things really began to take flight for Charlotte. Instructors were so impressed by the talented ten year old, that she was invited by the school to train in their year-round program - a program that would entail commuting to the Philadelphia studio every weekday afternoon. Charlotte’s mom, Caroline, said that while the offer was exciting, she had no intention of making that kind of commitment. “We were really flattered by the offer but immediately turned it down. We have 3 other children, and we felt it would be nearly impossible to travel to Philadelphia each day." However, Debra Sparks had a different reaction. Knowing Charlotte’s potential and the significance of the invitation to the prestigious program she made it clear how she felt. “You need to do this”, she said. “I’ll drive her to Philadelphia myself if necessary, but you need to do this”. And so they did. For the next several years, Charlotte began commuting to Philadelphia every day after school to train for 2.5 hours. “We are optimistic realists”, says Caroline. “As parents, we knew Charlotte’s dream was to become a professional ballerina, but we also knew the chances of it happening were very slim. We would check in with her directors and listen to their advice. If at any point they told us they didn’t see a career for Charlotte in ballet we would have changed direction. But each time the message was: ‘keep on working harder, you have the potential, drive, and natural ability’.”
By middle school, Charlotte was training more intensively, putting in 5 hours of dance during the day, while attending cyber school at night. It was an enormous sacrifice in pursuit of her dream of “one day” becoming a professional ballerina, but one that paid off far sooner than she ever imagined. At age 13, she was the only dancer from her level at the Philadelphia School of Ballet to be called up to serve as an alternate in the corps of The Philadelphia Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker, filling a spot usually reserved for seasoned ballerinas, typically 5-8 years older. Charlotte was expected to appear in only one or two of the shows, however, when an injury left one of the corps dancers unable to perform, she was suddenly asked to fill in for the remainder of the season – a whopping 25 shows in all. Caroline remembers the moment her young daughter, barely a teenager, appeared on the famous stage alongside some of the top ballerinas in the country as one of overwhelming emotion, “Even though I was sitting in the audience, I totally missed her performance. My eyes were so filled with tears, that I literally couldn’t see her.” Charlotte’s remarkable ability to effortlessly blend in with the corps, led to a rare invitation to audition for a full-time contract position with the Company this past spring. The family again felt the invitation was flattering, but merely a pipe dream – Charlotte would be auditioning alongside experienced ballerinas from around the world, most of them ranging in age from late teens to early 20s. Nevertheless, the directors again saw something special in Charlotte.
News that she had been offered a full contract with the Philadelphia Ballet’s Second Company (known as PBII) arrived in the form of a simple email that began with “Congratulations….”. “I didn’t read anything beyond that, at first”, says Charlotte… “I was in shock. Even though I felt my audition went well, I already prepared myself that it wasn’t my time, that I was too young. I showed my mom the email and we both cried. I worked so hard; I couldn’t process that it happened. I will never forget that feeling!”
Reaching this level of accomplishment at such a young age not only requires passion, hard work and sacrifice, but exceptional talent. Philadelphia Ballet II Director Eddy Tovar explains, “We have been watching Charlotte since she was doing polichinelles in The Nutcracker several years ago. Even then, she stood out with her fabulous jump and great coordination. She has strong technique for her age and has worked hard to gain a great balance of strength and flexibility. She is also extremely focused. Remaining focused and driven can go a long way."
With a contract signed and pointe shoes ready, now the hard work begins again. Charlotte will continue to dance 5-6 days a week, averaging 5 hours a day of pure technical training and conditioning, followed by an additional 2-3 hours of rehearsal for specific shows during performance season. As a member of PBII, the dancers not only prepare for performances with the main company, but also for community-based performances at schools, festivals and city events. Charlotte admits that this schedule can be daunting. “One of the hardest parts of being a ballerina is maintaining the intensity. When I’m in the studio I need to be there and only there. I can’t let up. Any time we are in the studio we are being evaluated, so mentally and physically we have to be there 100%”.
Returning home in the evening after a full day does not mean time for rest, however. That’s when Charlotte hits the books via cyber school – juggling a full schedule of 8 classes. Of course, like any teen, she also tries to find time to squeeze in a bit of a social life. “That’s the most challenging part of all this. I love doing what I do, but it can be tricky trying to juggle dance, school work and time with my friends.” Still Charlotte says that sacrifice is well worth it. “To be on the stage especially the Academy of Music is such a powerful experience and to be able to dance with amazing professional dancers is an absolute privilege. It is like an outer body experience of joy as I can do what I love and please so many people at the same time. It is definitely my happy place!” And Debra Sparks says that the sky’s the limit for this young dancer, “Charlotte pushes past everything that gets in her way. This is what makes her an exceptional dancer. This is what makes her one of the youngest contracted ballerinas. This is what will make her a ballerina that will have no boundaries. Ballet world, watch out - Charlotte is here to stay!”
For the 2021/2022 season, Philadelphia Ballet II will be performing both a repertory program as well as Snow White. Charlotte will also be involved in some of the performances of the main Company, working with
renowned Artistic Director, Angel Corella. Visit Philadelphiaballet.org for more information about the upcoming season.