Kentucky Alpha Carter Markham Webb

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF—PERSONALLY, PROFESSIONALLY AND AS A PI PHI.

I’m a native Louisvillian, part-time aerial and pole artist and full-time director of strategy for a Fortune 50 company. I was a dancer from childhood through my late 20s when I found pole and aerial arts at the tender age of 30—this discovery changed my life. Now, I balance my career with business while training on evenings and weekends for various performances. My Kentucky Alpha sisters can attest to my multiple competing priorities as a math major, studio art minor and dance student while in school at the University of Louisville. Learning how to manage many obligations while in college set me up for success in the real world.

In my career of pole and aerial arts, I have accumulated 15 gold medals and eight silver medals, including six national titles between 2021 and 2024, and two world titles in October 2024— gold in aerial silks art and silver in aerial hoop art—at the World Aerial Arts Championships in Greece and gold in artistic aerial pole at the World Pole and Aerial Championships in Sweden.

AS AN AERIAL ARTIST, WHAT DO YOU FIND MOST FULFILLING IN YOUR CAREER?

My passion as an aerial and pole artist is to bring joy and entertainment. My favorite pieces to choreograph are the acts that can transport the audience to another world—the ones that resonate with people of all ages, that elicit emotion, create a connection and even inspire.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES YOU’VE FACED IN YOUR CAREER AND HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM?

I have faced many challenges in my 12-year aerial career, but the most difficult (and numerous) pertain to my health. I started my journey at age 30—when many professional artists retire due to injury and declining skill. I’ve had many ups and downs over the years, including a preventative double mastectomy (with multiple reconstructive surgeries), an anterior talofibular ligament tear, labrum and hamstring tear and a chronic cervical spine injury. Each obstacle required long periods away from training and resulted in a major loss of skill—often forcing me to build back strength to complete beginner moves. Keeping a positive outlook, setting attainable goals and unyielding tenacity has helped me progress my way forward after each setback.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO PI PHIS WHO WISH TO PURSUE A SIMILAR CAREER?

Trust your gut and determine your artistic goals. Do you have passions and objectives outside of your art or would you like that to be your career? If you want a career in aerial arts, do you want to teach, perform, compete or all three? Starting with an end goal in mind will help you create a stronger strategic plan to pursue and achieve these goals.

WHO CONSISTENTLY INSPIRES YOU?

I am inspired by the aerial and pole artists that built the foundation for contemporary circuses in the 90s and early 2000s—many of whom are still performing in their 50s and 60s. I aspire to have longevity in my career and impact others though my work.

HOW DO YOU MEASURE PERSONAL SUCCESS?

I constantly strive to evolve my artistic style and create new, memorable pieces. I also work to learn new skills while cleaning and refining my existing ones. Perfection is an illusion—I set personal goals to participate in major events, rather than to place or medal in them. My success is measured by checking off new bucket list items through my aerial/pole journey and enjoying every second of the ride.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PI PHI MEMORY?

My favorite time of the year was always during recruitment. I loved getting the opportunity to help choreograph the dances for our skits which we rehearsed for weeks in advance. Even though we had little sleep and it could be a bit chaotic, we were together having the time of our lives!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE AND WHY?

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

—Maya Angelou.

This quote is something I strive to do in my artistry—to convey emotions and make the audience feel something for a moment in time.