Charity Carter

Charity Carter is a native of Houston, Texas and has been dancing and teaching for over 30 years. She is a graduate of Sam Houston State University where she studied dance under the direction of Dana Nicolay. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance, with a teaching certification in dance, and a minor in business and education.

In 2007, Charity Carter established FBAAD, Fort Bend Academy of Arts and Dance to provide traditional dance classes, Summer Dance Camp, and After School Dance Conservatory where she pioneered after school dance in Fort Bend Houston.

Throughout her career, Mrs. Charity Carter has cultivated arts education programs and fostered community outreach through contract partnerships with many local schools, school districts, organizations and more.

In 2013, Mrs. Charity Carter’s commitment to family, community outreach, education and empowerment through the arts inspired her to the create the Edison Arts Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit fine arts organization established for the educational and charitable purpose of producing and developing cultural and performing arts programs for children, adults, and families throughout the community.

The Edison Arts Foundation’s arts education and community outreach programs include: the ANDdance Jr. Company, a pre-professional dance company cultivating and preparing young dancers for career paths in dance; S.T.A.R. Summer Theatre Arts Repertory, Afterschool Arts Academy, Black History Month: UnCovering The Legacy, and the Lauren Anderson Ballet Masterclass, a 9-month artistic and educational series taught by ballet legend Lauren Anderson, the FIRST African- American prima ballerina of a major ballet company, Houston Ballet. Some of Mrs. Carter’s young ANDance Jr. Company members have been seen alongside Misty Copeland in the Cinderella production. The Edison Arts Foundation proudly sponsors many cultural and performing arts collaborations with some of the most world-renowned dance companies like the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and Dance Theatre of Harlem.

After nearly a decade of providing arts and cultural programming and after school academic enrichment for Fort Bend Houston families, The Edison Arts Foundation expanded its mission for large scale community impact. Inspired by her father’s hard work and family commitment, Charity Edison Carter now commits herself to her most recent project, The Edison Center: a 12.5-acre mixed used, creative placemaking development that blends arts and culture, entrepreneurship, job creation, affordable housing, healthcare, quality early education, outdoor green space, and public art uses to advance community wellbeing in Fort Bend Houston.

In honor of her parents, Robert and Bertha Edison, The Edison Center – anchored by a 400-seat performing arts center will be a catalyst for equity with arts at its core.

Mrs. Charity Edison Carter credits much of her success to FAMILY – one of the three core values of the Edison Arts Foundation (Family. Community. Arts). Charity is the wife of Mr. Troy Carter and the mother to a blended family of 5 children: Cassidy, Mikial, Markus, Mathew, and Addison.