Meet Carli Batson-Berry

Carli Batson Berry began her dance training at the age of ten, studying contemporary, ballet, modern, jazz, tap, lyrical, acrobatics, and musical theatre. She competed at the national level, performing in both New York City and Las Vegas. At fourteen, Carli earned a merit-based scholarship to train at the prestigious Joffrey School of Ballet with prestigious ballet instructors such as Era Jouravlev, Andrei Jouravlev, and Bill Waldinger. In search of a more affordable way to perform, Carli found a creative home within Wilmington’s theatre community. She went on to perform with local theatre companies, Cape Fear Theatre Arts, Opera House Theatre Company, and Thalian Association in productions including Memphis, Sister Act, South Pacific, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Will Rogers Follies, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Funny Girl, Ragtime (Evelyn Nesbit), The Prom (Shelby), A Chorus Line (Judy Turner) and most recently as a featured Kit Kat Dancer in Shane Fernando’s production of Cabaret. 

Carli holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Theatre Arts from Appalachian State University, where she also served as Co-Captain of the university’s Dance Team. At App State, Carli studied under Theatre and Dance faculty such as Dr. Derek Davidson, Emily Daughtridge, Dr. Derek Gagnier, and Dr. Ray Miller. She credits her debt-free education to the scholarship opportunities provided by the Miss North Carolina and Miss America organizations, where she held the titles of Miss Wilmington, Miss Greater Sampson County, Miss Cleveland, and ultimately, Miss North Carolina 2021. 

As Miss North Carolina, Carli competed at the 100th Anniversary Miss America Competition, advocating for the needs of performing arts communities through her social impact initiative, Carolina Cares. Through this initiative, she raised over $30,000 to support community arts programs just like ours. In 2023, she was honored to be selected as Queen Azalea, representing her hometown of Wilmington and the nearly 80-year legacy of the North Carolina Azalea Festival.

Behind the scenes, Carli is a true hair and makeup enthusiast. She has volunteered and worked backstage with professional hair and makeup teams on numerous theatre and dance productions. Now a licensed cosmetologist based in Wilmington, Carli is proudly celebrating the launch of her business, Essentia with Carli LLC, where she blends artistry, experience, and intention to help women express their unique essence through hair, makeup, and pageant coaching services. When she’s not working with clients, cutting hair, or teaching dance, Carli can be found hiding on the beach or spending time with her incredibly talented husband, Jonathan Berry.