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