Ashley Nicole Cartledge

Ashley Nicole Cartledge (Willis-Webb), beloved daughter, wife, educator, and artist, passed away at the age of 36. Born on Wednesday, September 21, 1988, at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, MA, Ashley lived a life full of creativity, passion, and love, touching countless lives through her work in dance, education, and entrepreneurship.
Ashley was the cherished daughter of Cheryl Lynette Willis-Webb of Washington, DC, and Ashley Eugene Webb of Lynchburg, VA. She grew up in Washington, DC, where she attended District of Columbia Public Schools, excelling in her studies at Shepherd Elementary, Deal Junior High, and Wilson High School (now Jackson-Reed High School), graduating in 2006.
Her passion for dance led her to pursue higher education at East Carolina University, where she earned her Bachelor's in Dance Education in 2010. Ashley continued to advance her knowledge and expertise, earning a Master's degree in Dance Education from the University of North Carolina Greensboro in 2017.
Ashley's dance journey began at the young age of 2 at The Davis Center in Washington, DC, under the direction of Ms. Beatrice Davis-Williams. She dedicated her life to mastering and sharing the art of dance, studying Ballet, Tap, Modern, and Creative Dance at numerous renowned institutions. Her experience spanned Alvin Ailey Workshops at the Kennedy Center, FLOYD DANCE and Our Dance Project, The Dance Place, DC Dance Collective, Joy of Motion Studio, and Maryland Youth Ballet.
At the age of 14, Ashley made history by creating the first Liturgical Dance Ministry, The Spiritual Expressions, at Gethsemane Baptist Church in Washington, DC. Her commitment to her faith, community and love of the arts extended into her professional career, where she spent 14 years teaching dance and coaching the dance teams at North Pitt High School in Bethel, NC. Ashley was in the first group of teachers at NPHS trained to implement PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions & Support) at our school. She was also a member of the Principal's Advisory Committee, and a Lead Mentor for the Beginning Teacher Program. As a leader in the dance education community, she served as Vice President of Communications and later President of the North Carolina Dance Education Organization (NCDEO), becoming the first woman of color to hold the position. Ashley was also a National Teacher Leader for the Connected Arts Networks (CAN) initiative, where she helped shape arts education with a focus on social-emotional learning, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Ashley created the "empowHERment" workshop, an intergenerational initiative that brought female students and their role models together through somatics and modern dance. Her approach to teaching was rooted in culturally responsive pedagogy and somatic practices, always emphasizing communal growth and understanding.
In addition to her impressive dance career, Ashley was a certified teacher of BodyMind Dancing™ and had extensive training in Modern, Bellydance, Ballet, Jazz, and Indian dance forms.
Beyond dance, Ashley was a successful entrepreneur, founding and running her own business, Cartledge Crafts, where she sold her unique creations. She was known for her incredible creativity, which extended beyond the studio and into her crafting.
A loving and devoted wife to her husband James, Ashley's life was filled with love, laughter, and joy. She cherished her two fur babies, Kiki and Luna, her adored cats who brought her endless comfort, warmth and happiness. She definitely was a self-proclaimed "Spoiled Daddy's Girl" who cherished her father-daughter time, always capturing precious moments together in selfies and always eagerly awaiting or randomly surprised with care packages adorned with Hello Kitty Stickers from her dad.
She was a devoted Hello Kitty fanatic, an avid Barbie Doll Collector, and cosmic fan of Anime.
Ashley leaves behind a legacy of artistic excellence, passionate leadership, and a deep commitment to nurturing the next generation of dancers. Her impact on the world of dance, especially within the North Carolina dance community, will be remembered for years to come.
Though she has departed from this world, her spirit will continue to dance in the hearts of all she touched.
"KEEP DANCING"
A memorial Service will be held to honor the life and memory of Ashley Nicole Cartledge at 6:30PM on October 29th, 2024, at North Pitt High School located at 5659 NC Highway 11 N, Bethel, NC 27812.