Mary McCort Reed was raised in Kingsport, TN and began dancing at the age of five under the direction of Charles Ryburn. She continued her instruction in ballet with Karen Gibbons-Brown at the Kingsport Guild of Ballet. While attending the University of Tennessee Mary was invited to perform with the Appalachian Ballet, where she first performed in The Nutcracker.

After graduating with her bachelors degree in Architecture, Mary moved to Cleveland, TN. While there she developed a beginner adult and young dancer ballet program for the Cleveland YMCA. Mary moved to Charlotte in 2007 and soon found Ms. Porter and the Charlotte School of Ballet.

Mary and her daughter, Raleigh, became a part of the Charlotte School of Ballet family and shortly thereafter joined the Charlotte Youth Ballet.
She has enjoyed many years of teaching ballet and performing alongside her daughter. Mary is very excited to be making this move and taking on the role of Ballet Mistress for the Charlotte Youth Ballet.