Center Stage: The Carolina Theatre Shines a Spotlight on Local Performers

In honor of all the artists who grace the Fletcher Hall stage every year, we want to share stories from two you may recognize from their incredible performances at this year’s Dancing With The Carolina Stars fundraiser in May. Tanu Sharma and Norberto “Betto” Herrera bring dance to life through their soulful choreography and have helped to inspire thousands of students and audiences around the world with their work. 

I faintly remember the moment my mother lovingly lifted my three-year-old self onto a stage to perform. Nothing was rehearsed, nothing was choreographed – I simply wandered through the space, letting my tiny body follow its own heartbeat. Little did I know that with each unplanned step, I was quietly falling in love with dance. 

Today, I look back with deep gratitude. It was my mother who nurtured that first spark, who allowed spontaneity to blossom in me. Born and brought up in India, I grew up in a joint family where space was always limited. Whenever I found a moment to myself, I would slip into a room, lock the door, turn on some music, and dance for hours—escaping into a different world. With every secret session, my connection to dance deepened. 

My interest in science led me to pursue an MS in Computer Science in the USA. While pursuing my degree at NCSU, I enrolled in a Jazz course—the first dance style I ever formally learned. As I navigated life—studying, building a career in the software industry—dance never left my side. I’ve always felt that I didn’t choose dance; dance chose me. I was helpless in the most beautiful way, endlessly drawn back to it no matter where life took me. 

I fondly remember those 3–4 years when I was experimenting with both Western and Indian dance styles—Jazz, Ballet, Hip-hop, Contemporary, and Kathak. I can still picture myself rushing to dance class after a full day’s work, returning home exhausted yet with a heart brimming with joy. Over the years, I choreographed and performed extensively, carrying my art across diverse stages and audiences. I participated in cultural outreach programs and fundraising events that brought communities together through the power of the arts. Alongside dance, I have been a longtime yoga practitioner—continually seeking to deepen my understanding of movement, breath, and the connection between the body and the self. 

Then came the darkest period of my dance life. After a hectic international trip and a sudden increase in the number of classes I was taking, I pushed myself too hard and ended up injured. With the wrong initial treatment, what could have been a short recovery stretched into nearly two years before I could dance again. During that forced pause—when dance was taken away from me—I finally understood what it truly meant in my life. I remember crying almost every night, not because I couldn’t walk properly, but because I couldn’t dance. In that deep longing to return to movement, my resolve to pursue dance seriously grew stronger than ever. 

When I returned to dancing, I devoted myself to one form—Kathak, the Indian classical style that felt like home to me. Its fluidity, grace, and expressive storytelling drew me in. I still remember the years I spent fighting my circumstances just to receive proper training my heart ached for. As a working professional, I would drift through office corridors imagining myself turning, leaping, spiraling. While my body sat obediently in a cubicle, my spirit was already dancing. 

When the calling grew too loud to ignore, I walked away from a high-paying, comfortable job—just after a major promotion—and surrendered completely to my passion and never looked back. That leap of faith eventually led me to pursue a Master’s degree in Kathak in India. Those two years were a whirlwind of devotion. I traveled back and forth to India for exams, woke up at odd hours for online classes and tests, and faced obstacles that often felt unreal. Yet every challenge only revealed how deeply I longed to dance—how fiercely I was willing to fight for it. 

It was during this time that I came across the opportunity to be a part of Dancing with the Carolina Stars—an annual fundraising event celebration held by the Carolina Theatre of Durham.  I remember stepping into Fletcher Hall for my very first rehearsal, its grandeur unfolding around me like a scene from a dream.  

That evening, when I returned home, I found myself diving into the Carolina Theatre’s history, learning how it had long served as a beating heart for creative expression and a bridge between people, cultures, and generations. Through that project, I met souls whose warmth and passion left a lasting imprint on me. I felt deeply grateful to connect with kindred spirits—people who, like me, believed that art can bring real social change. This opportunity became a blessing for me and it acted as a catalyst in my journey, opening doors, widening my vision, and guiding my career onto a path shaped by purpose and possibility. 

The performance night itself is forever etched in my memory.  The event was flawlessly organized by an exceptionally passionate and dedicated team. And the audience—alive, electric, extraordinary—filled the theatre with an energy that lifted all of us. As I stood beneath the lights of that magnificent hall, I thanked my stars for leading me there, to a place where art, community, and pure joy converged. 

As I finally stepped forward to share my art with the world, each day began to feel electric with possibility—an invitation to create something new, to follow an exciting adventure. In many ways, it felt like a homecoming—circling back to that fearless three-year-old who stood under the gaze of hundreds, untouched by doubt, lost blissfully in her own world of movement. And now, once more, I dance with that same innocence, that same wonder, that same unshakable joy. 

WHY I DANCE? 

When I dance, I fall completely and madly in love… with life. In that moment, my heart opens wide, and I find myself in love with everything—everything beneath the stars and everything beyond them. 

In those moments, I meet my truest self—utterly surrendered to the universe, held in a state of pure gratitude, ego dissolving into the rhythm. 

Dance is not a hobby, nor merely a livelihood, nor even just a passion.
It is the longing, the path, and the destination.
It is the pulse beneath everything.
It is life itself. 

 -Tanu Sharma

My journey as a dancer, instructor, community organizer, and performing artist started in family gatherings in Ecuador. After moving to a dense Latin population area in New Jersey as a teenager, I was exposed to other Latin American cultures, which helped me develop a strong sense of pride for my heritage. This pride was further solidified when I sought training from some world-renowned dance experts in the NJ/NY metro area. 

I moved to North Carolina after enlisting in the US Marines. While on active duty, I continued my efforts to connect with my Latin roots by starting dance lessons at the MCAS New River’s Enlisted Club and at the Jacksonville USO. After my discharge, I moved to Durham to continue spreading the love for Latin dance and culture, founding the Mambo Dinamico Dance Company in 2002. I helped shape and develop a thriving Latin dance community in the Triangle, reaching more than eighty-five thousand dance students in my classes at Carmen’s Cuban Cafe. 

Aside from teaching and performing dance, I transformed myself into an expert in the rich history and culture of Latin dance through independent research. This expertise led me to perform educational, entertaining, and inspirational dance performances on many stages around the world, including the prestigious and historic Carolina Theatre of Durham. I brought Latin flavor to the theater’s annual Dancing with the Carolina Stars, receiving praise for my fun and energetic choreography. 

The Carolina Theatre’s support has helped me take traditional Latin dances to other prestigious stages and new audiences. I now have new goals for my dance company: in collaboration with Sabrosura Latin Jazz, I am developing a concert dance show that tells the stories of immigrants from Latin America.  – Norberto “Betto” Herrera

Your generosity helps local talent shine at our historic theater, by providing vital work for local artists, funding paid performances, workshops, films, and educational offerings through core programs like the OUTSOUTH Queer Film Festival and the Arts Discovery Educational Series, as well as pilot programs like the upcoming Durham Fringe Festival.

Every gift you make will be matched, doubling your impact and helping to launch original programs, reach new audiences, and deepen partnerships across Durham. As we plan to grow these programs throughout 2026 and beyond, we need your generous support now more than ever. Please consider making a gift.

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