Biography
Noelani Pantastico is a respected ballet coach, teacher, and répétiteur with a distinguished career spanning over two decades. Originally from Oahu, Hawaii, she began her training at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet (CPYB) under the esteemed Marcia Dale Weary and Maurinda C. Wingard, where she built the strong technical foundation that would propel her into the professional ballet world. After attending summer courses at Pacific Northwest Ballet School, she joined PNB as an apprentice in 1997, rising through the ranks to become a principal dancer in 2004.
In 2008, Noelani embarked on a new artistic chapter with Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, where she danced under the direction of Jean-Christophe Maillot. She performed leading roles in some of Maillot’s most celebrated works, including Juliet in Roméo et Juliette, Cendrillon in Cendrillon, Aurora in La Belle, Zoe in Casse-Noisette, and Odile in Lac.
Her extensive repertoire spans a wide range of classical, neo-classical, and contemporary works. She has performed numerous ballets by George Balanchine, including Coppélia, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet, Diamonds, Divertimento No. 15, Emeralds, La Sonnambula, La Valse, Rubies, Serenade, Symphony in C, Square Dance, Stars and Stripes, The Nutcracker, Theme and Variations, Valse Fantaisie, Western Symphony, and Who Cares?, along with his signature black-and-white ballets such as Agon, Concerto Barocco, Duo Concertante, The Four Temperaments, Stravinsky Violin Concerto, and Symphony in Three Movements.
Additionally, Noelani has danced leading roles in works by Kent Stowell, including Carmen, Carmina Burana, Cinderella, Dual Lish, Firebird, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Silver Lining, and The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. She has also performed notable ballets by Jerome Robbins, such as Other Dances, West Side Story Suite, In the Night, The Concert, Fancy Free, and Dances at a Gathering.
Her contemporary and neo-classical repertoire includes works by David Dawson (Empire Noir), Jiří Kylián (Petit Mort), Nacho Duato (Jardí Tancat and Rassemblement), and William Forsythe (Artifact II, In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, One Flat Thing, Reproduced, New Suite, and New Sleep). She has collaborated with a diverse array of choreographers, including Alexander Ekman (Rondo), Nicolo Fonte (Quiet Bang), Johan Inger (In Exact), Pontus Lidberg (Summer’s Winter Shadow), and Bruno Roque (Anamnesis and Frugivory). Notably, she has worked with renowned female choreographers such as Marie Chouinard (Body Remix), Natalia Horečna (Tales Absurd, Fatalistic Visions Predominate), Penny Saunders(ALICE), Robyn Mineko Williams (The Trees, The Trees), Jessica Lang (Her Door To The Sky), and Dominique Dumais (Time and Other Matter).
In 2015, Noelani returned to Pacific Northwest Ballet as a principal dancer, where she continued to captivate audiences with her artistry and versatility. In 2019, she co-founded Seattle Dance Collective (SDC) with PNB colleague James Yoichi Moore, an initiative designed to foster collaboration between dancers and choreographers and bring innovative, high-caliber performances to audiences.
In February 2022, Noelani retired from the main stage to dedicate herself to coaching and mentorship. She joined the faculty at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, where she was promoted to Director of the Pre-Professional Division and later Artistic Director. In 2023, she stepped away from CPYB to explore opportunities for artistic growth and leadership.
Currently, Noelani is a freelance ballet teacher and coach, as well as a stager for Jean-Christophe Maillot, sharing her extensive experience and knowledge with the next generation of dancers worldwide.