By David Rogers. BLOWING ROCK, N.C. — She once roamed the halls of Blowing Rock School and Watauga High School between classes, but on Monday Aug. 10, Ava Jean Cutlip (stage name, “Ava Jean”) and her family will be walking the red carpet in Hollywood for the premiere showing of Camp Rock 3, a soon-to-be-released Disney feature film sequel starring the Jonas Brothers and Malachi Barton, among others. The film releases on the Disney Channel on Aug. 13.
The daughter of landscape and golf course architect Ron Cutlip and Project Dance principal Cheryl Cutlip, Ava Jean is in the early stages of a professional acting career.
Last year was pretty busy for Ava Jean because in addition to having a significant role in an episode of Law & Order: SVU, she also appeared in the TV series, A Week Away and in the pilot video for a planned Hulu sequel to Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
In Camp Rock 3, Connect 3 is the fictional pop-rock band formed by Shane Gray, Nate Gray and Jason Gray, played by Joe, Nick and Kevin Jonas (The Jonas Brothers). In the movie, the band is back at Camp Rock, “… looking for a a new opening act for their tour. Among campers like Sage, Desi, Rosie and others, the competition to win the coveted spot sparks rivalries and romances as everyone fights to stand out,” according to IMDb.com.
Ava Jean plays “Madison, a new character introduced as an intimidating yet fabulous social media influencer who arrives at Camp Rock ready to make an impression. She’s part of the new wave of campers, all fighting for the same big break,” explains the Camp Rock Fandom website.
Growing up in the High Country, Ava Jean was immersed in dance from an early age, beginning her performance career with the Carolina Snowbelles precision dance troupe, the performance team out of The Space at Project Dance, produced and directed by Cheryl Cutlip, a former member of the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes in New York City. Ava Jean’s dance training included studying under Amanda Edge of the New York City Ballet and Brad Parquette of the Joffrey Ballet, according to IMDb. During high school at Watauga, she was a member of the Pacers dance team that performed at the Pioneers’ football and basketball games, as well as at other special events.
Trivia Question: What does Ava Jean have in common with a host of other female actors, including Sharon Stone, Kate Mara, Mischa Barton, Kim Delaney, Elizabeth Banks, Amanda Seyfried, Amy Smart, Hilary Duff, Virginia Madsen, Estella Warren, Danielle Panabaker, Lynda Carter, Emily Deschanel, Marlee Matlin, Daphne Zuniga, Catherine Bell, Missy Peregrym, Britt Robertson, Arielle Kebbel, Rooney Mara, Hayden Panettiere, Dana Delany, Maggie Grace, Zoe Saldana, Susan Saint James, Cybill Shepherd, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Peyton List and over 200 others?
Answer: All of the women appeared in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, NBC’s hit television series, at one point in their respective acting careers. (Source: IMDb)
IMDb lists Ava Jean’s film and stage credits as:
UPCOMING
- Camp Rock 3 (Madison), completed, TV Movie
- Lower the Volume (Anna), completed, TV Series
- Hal (Maggie Weigl), in post-production
- Child-ish 2021 (Ava Cutlip, as Ava Jean Cutlip), Filming, TV series
PREVIOUS
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale Pilot (Larkin), 2025
- All is Merry & Bright (Teenage Jessica Phillips), 2025
- A Week Away (Savannah), TV Series, 7 episodes, 2025
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Josephine DeWinn), TV Series, 1 episode, 2025
- Peacock (Jessica), Short, 2025
- Love Kills (Dancer #5, as Ava Jean Cutlip), 2024
- Next Top Model Kids (Actress, as Ava Jean Cutlip), TV Movie, 2023
- Holiday Twist (‘I Got You’ Dancer, as Ava Jean Cutlip), 2023
- Jane (Jane), short, 2023
