Camp North End Senior Portraits | UNCSA Dancer is NYU Bound

There is magic in the air at Camp North End. It’s full of light, color and life. So many artists have left their mark on this newly revitalized mixed use development just north of Uptown Charlotte. Let me introduce you to another. Meet my friend Melinda. She recently graduated high school from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) and is attending New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in the fall. Melinda is an amazing dancer, daughter, sister, friend and best of all, human. She too is full of light, color and life.

I first met Melinda during her brother’s senior portrait session two years ago. I immediately loved her energy, spirit and creativity. So when we started planning her senior portrait session, I knew Camp North End would be a perfect match. Billed as “76 acres of Inspiration, Creativity, Innovation, Connection and Imagination,” Camp North End is one of my favorite locations for urban senior portraits. It proved to be pure magic when Melinda took center stage.

Melinda graduated from UNCSA earlier this summer on May 22nd during an in-person ceremony at Truist Field in Winston Salem. In person! Yes! So many of my seniors got to have in-person ceremonies this year and it makes me so happy for us all. But her year wasn’t without Covid pivots. All of her college dance auditions were held virtually this past year. Instead of going to New York City to audition for NYU, she danced in her family’s living room. They moved all of the furniture to the kitchen and back porch. True story! And it worked! NYU was her top choice. She will be in the freshman class with another one of my senior clients, Charlotte Ballet dancer Clay. Melinda plans to train in ballet and modern dance, graduating in three years with a BFA in Dance.

She started dancing at age 2 and has been dancing through life ever since. Melinda danced on competition teams for many years, but in high school she left the competition side to focus on dance technique. She danced at Open Door Studios her freshman and sophomore years, and still dances there on holidays and summer breaks. Melinda attended Central Academy of Technology and Arts (CATA) freshman and sophomore years, then went to UNCSA to finish her junior and senior years. She focused on ballet there while also dancing modern.  

Melinda – You amaze and inspire me. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your senior year. I love the magic we created together and can’t wait to watch you shine at NYU. Remember to keep your tour guide hat handy. We are coming to visit you!