How Ava Cutlip’s passion for dance led her from New York to Boone — and to the Olympics

Ava Cutlip never imagined she’d be dancing in the streets of Paris alongside her mom.

For her mom, Cheryl, dancing has always been second nature. During her fifteen year career as a Radio City Rockette, Cheryl’s role included everything from dance captain to choreographer.

However, her most important role was with the community, especially after the events of September 11, 2001.

“My mom and her friends decided to just dance on the streets of New York,” Ava said. “They just went out there and danced and slowly, through conversation and through dance, they were able to talk to people that day and share just love and hope for the future.”

It started as a way for people to come together. The event, later named Project Dance , became so popular that city residents asked for it to come back the following year.

After finishing her career in New York, Cutlip and her family relocated to Boone. As a kid, Ava often traveled with her mom to Orlando and Texas while Cheryl focused on growing Project Dance.

During the next several years, the foundation continued to grow and evolve into the nonprofit it is today — with community events held in sixteen cities across three different countries.

“I saw dance from a young age, not from a professional way, but from a way of community,” Ava said. “I had a lot of older sisters, a lot of aunts, and just strong women in my life that were also dancers. Because of that, I just was like, this is the kind of woman I want to be, and I just fell into it.”

Ava, now 19, has continued to travel to Project Dance events with her mom. The most recent event was held in Paris , ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games.

On July 19, the Cutlips gathered with hundreds of other dancers from around the world in Place de la République for the opening event of this year’s Paris showcase.

“We got to talk to a lot of people from a lot of different countries, and that’s so exciting to see people come together,” Ava said. “I feel like the Olympics are such a uniting time and everybody kind of gets to share what’s special to them.”

Because Project Dance has expanded dramatically in the past few years, Cheryl now has a local producer for each city. The producers assist with getting permits, coordinating logistics with the city and advertising the event.

Since this year’s showcase happened only a week before the Olympics, dancers had to receive extra passes and credentials to navigate the city and get to all of the locations. Ava was grateful to have been in the city during such a special time ahead of the games.

“It was really such a blessing to see the city in a time where it’s just incredibly decorated,” Ava said. “Whether it’s the church or the architecture in Paris, everything was just stunning. It was cool to see it so alive and beautiful.”

The event takes place over the course of three days and includes social time, a group dance, masterclasses, company performances, interviews with choreographers and cultural movement classes.

“I think you can get stuck in seeing what’s right in front of you,” Ava said. “When you go out and you meet people that do other things, believe different things, dance differently and show their love for the world differently, that is a blessing.”

Ava is now a Telly-Award winning actress living on her own in Los Angeles to pursue her career in acting and singing. She still draws inspiration from her mom and her accomplishments.

“My mom is so cool,” Ava said. “She has always encouraged my dreams, no matter what they are. I love her and I really look up to the fact that she’s been able to bring a lot of different nations together that share the love for dance.”

At the moment, Ava’s focus is on getting her bachelor’s degree through online classes at Purdue and continuing to audition for roles and write music. Despite her focusing solely on dance, it continues to be a form of therapy for Ava — one that she’ll always come back to.

“Dance is a universal language, and it gives people joy,” Ava said. “People can understand movement, and people can take away something from movement, even if you don’t speak the same language or share the same backgrounds or beliefs, you can experience dance and the joy of it.”

Maya Waid is a student with UNC Media Hub, a program with the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media, reporting from the Summer Olympics in Paris.