American Repertory Ballet

Archives: People

Noelani Pantastico

Ms. Pantastico joined the Pacific Northwest Ballet as an apprentice in 1997 and became a corps de ballet member a year later. She was named soloist in 2001, and a year after dancing Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, a principal in 2004. 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. In 2015, she returned to PNB again as a principal dancer. During her 25-year career, she has danced a diverse repertory, including works by George Balanchine, Jean-Christophe Maillot, Jiri Kylian, William Forsythe, Jerome Robbins, Susan Stroman, Crystal Pite, Alejandro Cerrudo, Penny Saunders Robyn Mineko Williams and many more. She was featured in the 1999 filmed version of PNB’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In 2017, Pantastico choreographed Picnic for Sculptured Dance by the Seattle Art Museum. 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. In 2019, she founded Seattle Dance Collective with fellow PNB principal dancer James Moore. In January 2022, Pantastico announced her retirement from Pacific Northwest Ballet and dedication to teaching. Ms. Pantastico is a freelance teacher, coach, and stager for Jean-Christopher Maillot’s works.

Photo Credit – Lindsay Thomas

Jillian Kramarck

Jillian Kramarck was born and raised in Newark, Delaware and began her dance training at the age of 3. She trained at Delaware Arts Conservatory in all styles of dance and received the majority of her ballet instruction under ballet mistress Priscilla Payson, as well as private coaching from Philadelphia Ballet Principal Dancers, Yuka Iseda and Sterling Baca. Kramarck has been a finalist at Youth America Grand Prix and a bronze medalist at National Ballet Competition. She has also received multiple awards for her own choreography. Kramarck has attended summer training at Philadelphia Ballet, Carolina Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and Koresh Dance Company. She danced with American Repertory Ballet as a trainee for two years starting in 2022. While in the trainee program, Kramarck performed both Dulcinea and the Act 3 Pas De Deux in the trainee program’s production of Don Quixote. She has also danced in ARB’s The Nutcracker, Ethan Stiefel and Johan Kobborg’s Giselle, and Ethan Stiefel’s Classic Beauty.

Jericho Lopez

Jericho Lopez was born in Queens, New York. He is 24 years old and graduated from Berkeley College with a medical & health science degree. He attended Broadway Dance Center since 2015. He started training with some of the world’s most renowned teachers & choreographers, in all forms of dance, but specialized in Hip Hop, Street Jazz and Contemporary fusion. In 2017, he was chosen as an Advanced Elite Protégé for the Pulse On Tour giving him the once in a lifetime opportunity to travel across the United States. While his most memorable moment was performing at the 2018 VMA’s. At the age of 12 he was introduced to dance and began training at Icon Dance Complex in all styles of dance. He has performed at venues, Radio City Music Hall, Apollo, Hammerstein Ballroom, World of Dance NJ, Symphony Space to NYU Skirball Center.

Rachel Quiner

Rachel Quiner was born and raised in Northern New Jersey and began her formal ballet training at the North Jersey School of Dance Arts under the direction of Christine Taylor and Luba Gulyaeva. From 2015-2018, she danced the role of Clara for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. She is a ballet dancer in the movie The Greatest Showman starring Hugh Jackman. In 2017, she placed second in classical and contemporary at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) Semifinals in Philadelphia and was a scholarship recipient at the YAGP Finals. She joined American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in 2020. Highlights from her time there included performances in Complexions Contemporary Ballet’s Gala at the Joyce Theater in 2022, the International Rescue Committee Gala at Gotham Hall and ABT’s Fall Gala at Lincoln Center in 2023.  She has guested as the Sugar Plum Fairy for Hunterdon Hills Ballet, Strictly Ballet, and Washington Rock Dance.  She has also danced the role of Clara for New Jersey Ballet’s Nutcracker in 2023. This is her first season with ARB as an Apprentice.

Meredith Rainey

Meredith Rainey began dancing at 15 in his hometown of Fort Lauderdale. In 1985, he became the first African American dancer of the Milwaukee Ballet. In 1987, he was invited to join the newly formed Pennsylvania-Milwaukee Ballet, when the collaboration ended, he remained with the Pennsylvania Ballet for 17 years—much of that time as a soloist—until his retirement in 2006. Among other awards and fellowships, Rainey has been the recipient of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Fellowship (1995 & 2002), the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Artist as Catalyst Grant (2001), the Independence Foundation Fellowship in the Arts (2002), a finalist for the Pew Fellowship in the Arts (2003), and a Pew Center for Arts and Heritage Grant (2010). He has been commissioned to create works for Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, BalletX, Delaware Ballet, Hubbard Street 2, National Ballet De Cali, Danse4Nia Repertory Ensemble, and institutions such as The University of the Arts, Drexel University, Stockton University, Georgian Court University, Goucher College, Swarthmore College, and Bryn Mawr College. His work has been performed in North and South America and throughout Spain. In 2009, Rainey founded and directed Carbon Dance Theatre, a contemporary ballet company in Philadelphia. In 2014 after deciding to concentrate on artistic projects, he closed the company and remained a sought-after teacher, mentor, and independent choreographer. In the fall of 2019, Rainey graduated with top honors as a member of the first cohort of candidates for the Master of Fine Arts in Dance from The University of the Arts. (Photo credit:  Portia Jones) 

Stephanie Martinez

Chicago-based choreographer, Stephanie Martinez, moves her audiences along a journey guided by the kinetic momentum of her award-winning works spanning over 12 years. With original creations for Joffrey Ballet, Ballet Hispanico, Luna Negra Dance Theater, Charlotte Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, Bruce Wood Dance, Nashville Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, BalletX, and Milwaukee Ballet, among others. Theatre credits include Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Martinez’s versatility expands the boundaries of contemporary ballet movement. Martinez has created over 70 ballets on companies and collegiate programs across the country. Martinez has received numerous grants for her work and is continually recognized for her work as a female artist of color. Dubbed “a chameleon” of choreography by the Chicago Tribune, Martinez’s psychologically revelatory works challenge the viewer’s notion of what is possible. Martinez is the founder and artistic director of PARA.MAR Dance Theatre in Chicago, IL established in July 2020. (Photo credit: Todd Rosenberg)