Noelani Pantastico

Noelani Pantastico (born May 4, 1980) is an American ballet dancer. She was formerly a principal dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle and also danced at the Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo in Monaco.

Noelani Pantastico
Born
Oahu, Hawaii, U.S.
Occupationballet dancer
Years active1997-present
Career
Current groupCentral Pennsylvania Youth Ballet (CPYB)
Former groupsPacific Northwest Ballet
Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo

Early life

Pantastico was born in Oahu, Hawaii, to a Hawaiian-Filipino father and an Australian mother, and is one of six children. In her early life, her family moved around in the country. She started training at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet at the age of 11. She also attended Pacific Northwest Ballet's summer intensives for three years[1][2]

Career

In 1997, Pantastico joined the Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle as an apprentice, and became a member of the corps de ballet a year later. She was named soloist in 2001 and, a year after dancing Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, a principal in 2004.[3]

In 2008, she left PNB and joined Jean-Christophe Maillot's Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo in Monaco as a soloist, having previously danced Maillot's Roméo et Juliette at PNB. She was named first soloist a year later.[4]

In 2015, she returned to PNB, again as a principal dancer. During her time in PNB, she has danced in Jewels, Cendrillon, The Nutcracker, Giselle, Crystal Pite's Plot Point and Penny Saunders's ALICE. She was also featured in the 1999 filmed version of PNB's A Midsummer Night's Dream.[2][3]

In 2017, Pantastico choreographed Picnic for Sculptured Dance.[2]

Outside of PNB, in 2004, she made a guest appearance at the New York City Ballet, dancing the second movement of Balanchine's Brahms–Schoenberg Quartet at NYCB's Balanchine Centennial.[2] She also founded Seattle Dance Collective with fellow PNB principal dancer James Moore.[5]

In January 2022, Pantastico announced her retirement and future teaching position at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet.[3]

Selected repertoire

Created roles

  • Kyle Davis: A Dark and Lonely Space
  • Dominique Dumais: Time and other Matter
  • Paul Gibson: The Piano Dance, Sense of Doubt
  • Jean-Christophe Maillot: Casse-Noisette Compagnie, Lac
  • Miles Pertl: Wash of Gray
  • Victor Quijada: Suspension of Disbelief
  • Eva Stone: F O I L
  • Christopher Stowell: Quick Time, Zaïs
  • Kent Stowell: Dual Lish
  • Susan Stroman: TAKE FIVE…More or Less
  • Christopher Wheeldon: The Trees The Trees

Awards
  • 1996 Regional Dance America/Northeast Scholarship winner
  • 1997 Regional Dance America/Northeast Scholarship winner

References
  1. Pantastico, Noelani (4 September 2019). ""Dance Gave My Life Meaning Before I Knew I Needed Meaning in My Life"". Dance Magazine.
  2. "Noelani Pantastico". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  3. Smith, Rich (14 January 2022). "Pacific Northwest Ballet Star Noelani Pantastico to Retire After 25 Years". The Stranger. Seattle, WA, USA. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  4. "Boomerang ballerina: Noelani Pantastico comes home again to 'Roméo et Juliette'". The Seattle Times. 31 January 2016.
  5. "With Seattle Dance Collective, Two Pacific Northwest Ballet Stars Try Directing on for Size". Pointe Magazine. 16 August 2019.
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