Martha Chamberlain began her dance training at age five at the Fellowship House in Media, Pennsylvania, where she was born and raised. She went on to study with Donna Muzio, Paul Klocke and Cherie Noble at West Chester’s Dance Center and The School of American Ballet’s Summer Program from 1985 to 1988. She is a graduate of Friends Select and The School of Pennsylvania Ballet.
Ms. Chamberlain joined Pennsylvania Ballet as an Apprentice in the fall of 1989 and was promoted to the Corps de Ballet three months later. She was promoted to Soloist in 1997 and to Principal after her premiere as Juliet in John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet in March 2000. Ms. Chamberlain has danced several leading roles including Katherina in The Taming of the Shrew, Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, Swanhilda in Coppélia, Myrtha in Giselle, Dewdrop and Sugarplum Fairy in George Balanchine’sThe Nutcracker, and Helena and Divertissement pas de deux in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She has also had featured roles in George Balanchine’s Ballo della Regina, The Four Temperaments, Agon, Western Symphony, Serenade, Apollo, and Rubiesfrom Jewels; Paul Taylor’s Company B and Arden Court; and Christopher d’Amboise’s Franklin Court. She has created roles for such choreographers as Trey McIntryre, Kevin O’Day, Jessica Lang, Jeffrey Gribler and Matthew Neenan. She has had the opportunity to dance internationally in Portugal, England, and Germany.
Ms. Chamberlain has designed costumes for Matthew Neenan’s The Crossed Line, 11:11, As It’s Going, Keep, and At the border as well as for choreographers such as Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Jorma Elo, Helen Pickett Zane Booker, and Meredith Rainey. Her jewelry has been sold in stores in Philadelphia and New York.
Christine Cox - Co-Founder, Ballet X
Christine Cox began her ballet training with the Pennsylvania Ballet School and continued at the Philadelphia High School for the Performing Arts, spending summer sessions at the Joffrey and San Francisco Ballet schools. After high school, she danced with Balletmet in Columbus, Ohio for five years before moving to New York. There, Christine danced as a guest artist with Ballet Hispanico and performed for President George H.W. Bush at the Ford Theatre. She then spent one year with America Repertory Ballet Theatre before joining Pennsylvania Ballet in 1993.
Christine has premiered works by a number of gifted choreographers, including Ib Anderson, Rennie Harris, James Kudelka, John McFall, Trey McIntyre, Matthew Neenan, Kevin O'Day, David Parsons, Kirk Peterson, and Christopher Wheeldon. Some of her featured roles include Rum and Coca-Cola in Paul Taylor’s Company B; Vortex in Alvin Ailey’s The River; Choleric in George Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments; Eve in Margo Sappington’s Rodin, Mis En Vie; the Cowgirl in Agnus DeMille’s Rodeo; and one of the principal females in Jerome Robbins’ Fancy Free and The Concert.
Christine co-founded Phrenic New Ballet in 2000 and choreographed several works for the company as well as for Shut Up and Dance, an annual AIDS benefit presented by the Dancers of Pennsylvania Ballet. She has been awarded fellowship grants from the Independence Foundation and The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts for her choreography.
In 2004 Christine co-founded BalletX with her long time collaborator Matthew Neenan. They have received critical acclaim and most recently were invited to perform at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. In May of 2006, she staged Mr. Neenan’s 11:11 on Pennsylvania Ballet and rehearsed the company for the New York premiere at The City Center. She has received two Rocky Awards for outstanding achievement in the arts and has worked for 7 years as Assistant Rehearsal Director for the children in George Balanchine’s TheNutcracker. She currently choreographs and teaches at The University of the Arts, Swarthmore College and surrounding studios in the area.
Fang-ju Chou Gant, Koresh Dance Co.
Fang-Ju Chou Gant, born and raised in Taiwan, came to the United States to further her study of dance. She earned an Associate Degree of Dance in Australia from Queensland University of Technology, Academy of the Arts/Dance, and received her BFA in Dance Education from The University of the Arts. Fang-Ju is trained in a wide range of dance styles and stagecraft. She intends to continue her post-performance career as an instructor and currently teaches extensively in the Philadelphia area. Fang-Ju has been performing with Koresh Dance Company since 1998.
Jessica Gattinella - Repetiteur, Balanchine Trust Foundation; Formerly of the Pennsylvania Ballet
Born in San Rafael, California, and raised in Philadelphia, Jessica Gattinella began her dance training at the age of six with the School of the Pennsylvania Ballet. During her 13 years there, Ms. Gattinella had the privilege of studying under Nina Fedorova, Gloria Govrin, Olga Kostritsky, Adam Luders, and Yvonne Patterson. She furthered her training by attending summer programs at the School of American Ballet and New York State Summer School of the Arts in Saratoga Springs, New York. As a Trainee with Pennsylvania Ballet, she performed such ballets as Paquita, Rubies, Stars and Stripes, The Four Temperaments, Christopher d’Amboise’s Just One of Those Things, as well as George Balanchine’s Swan Lake at The Kennedy Center in 1994. After graduating Cum Laude from Philadelphia’s Friends Select School in 1995, Ms. Gattinella joined Pennsylvania Ballet as an apprentice in 1996 and was promoted to Corps de Ballet in 1998.During her ten year career, she performed in over twenty of George Balanchine’s ballets, with featured roles in Agon, The Nutcracker, Raymonda Variations, Theme and Variations, and Who Cares?. Ms. Gattinella also danced featured roles in Cinderella,The Sleeping Beauty, Christopher Wheeldon’s Swan Lake, Margo Sappington’s Rodin, Mis En Vie, Paul Taylor’s Arden Court, Kevin O’Day’s Quartet for IV, and Matthew Neenan’s Le Travail and 11:11.
In 2006, Ms. Gattinella retired from the stage to start a family and she and her husband are now the proud parents of a son, Taggart.She currently resides in Philadelphia and teaches for Pennsylvania Ballet’s school program.
Tara Keating, BalletX
Tara Keating began her training at the age of seven at the Pioneer Valley Ballet in Northampton, Massachusetts. She then attended the Juilliard School, under the direction of Benjamin Harkarvy, from which she received a BFA in dance. While there, she was awarded the Jerome L. Greene Fellowship and the Most Outstanding Dance Major award from the National Dance Association. She began her professional career with the American Repertory Ballet and then joined Twyla Tharp's company, "THARP!", where she performed both internationally and at City Center in New York.
Ms. Keating joined the Pennsylvania Ballet in 1998, and was promoted to soloist in 2003. During her ten year career there, she danced leading roles in numerous classical and contemporary works such as "Emilia" in Jose Limon's The Moor's Pavane, "Hippolyta"," Hermia", and "Helena" in George Balanchine's A Midsummer Night's Dream, principal roles in Jerome Robbins' Fancy Free and The Concert, Paul Taylor's Company B and Arden Court , and in several premieres by Matthew Neenan. In addition, throughout her career she has originated roles in world premieres by such renowned choreographers as Val Caniparoli, Jorma Elo, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Trey McIntyre, Helen Pickett, Septime Webre, and Christopher Wheeldon.
In 2005, she became an original member of BalletX, and has danced in virtually every performance since their inception. She has traveled to Korea, St. Louis, and Laguna, CA with the company. Ms. Keating was the Producing Director in 2006 and 2007 for Shut Up and Dance, an annual benefit for MANNA, created by the Dancers of Pennsylvania Ballet. She was also the recipient of a 2002 City Paper Choice Award. She is on faculty at various schools in the region, and has taught master classes at Broadway Dance Center in NYC and at NADAA dance conventions throughout the country. This past February, Ms. Keating had a residency at Bucknell University where she set an excerpt from Neenan’s Frequencies. In Fall 2009, she assisted him in the setting of his new ballet At the Border for the Pennsylvania Ballet, as well as his Carmina Burana and The Crossed Line this past March.
Meredith Rainey, Carbon Dance Theatre
Meredith Rainey began dancing at 15 in his hometown of Fort Lauderdale. In 1985 he joined the Milwaukee Ballet. In 1987, he was asked to join the newly formed Pennsylvania-Milwaukee Ballet, remaining with the Pennsylvania Ballet when the collaboration ended in 1989, and was promoted to soloist in 1999. He was also a demi-soloist with the Dance Theatre of Harlem for a short time in 1997. Meredith has performed works by such choreographers as George Balanchine, Alvin Ailey, Mary Anthony, Paul Taylor, Lar Lubovitch, Jose Limon, John Butler, John Cranko, William Forsythe, Jean Grand-Maître, Robert Weiss, Jorma Elo, David Parsons, Trey McIntyre, and Kevin O’Day in North and South America and throughout Europe.
Deciding in 2006 to focus his creativity solely on his choreographic career, Meredith took two years to hone his craft as a part of the Choreographer’s Project at the Susan Hess Modern Dance Studio (Philadelphia). In 2008 he was awarded a “New Edge” residency at the Community Education Center (CEC) of Philadelphia.
Meredith has also won numerous awards including the 1995 & 2002 PA Council on the Arts Fellowship Grant for Choreography, the 2001 Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Artist as Catalyst Grant, the 2002 Independence Foundation Fellowship in the Arts and, a 2003 Pew Fellowship in the Arts Finalist. Meredith has been commissioned to create work for Pennsylvania Ballet, Brandywine Ballet, Delaware Ballet, Hubbard Street 2, Phrenic New Ballet, Ballet X, Philadanco for their 25th Anniversary celebration, and has had his work performed throughout North and South America and Europe including Miami International Ballet Festival, the International Ballet Festival of Ecuador, the First and Second International Ballet Festival of Calí, (Columbia) and Madrid, Spain.
Jonathan Stiles, Pennsylvania Ballet, Shut Up & Dance
A native of North Carolina, Jonathan Stiles received the majority of his training under Duncan Noble at the North Carolina School of the Arts, where he earned his Bachelors of Fine Arts degree. Mr. Stiles joined the Pennsylvania Ballet in 1999, after two seasons with the Cincinnati Ballet. His classical repetoire with the Company includes Hilarion in Giselle, Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Renfield in Dracula, and Little Step-Sister in Cinderella. He has also danced featured and leading roles in George Balanchine's Slaughter on 10th Avenue and Ballo Della Regina; Jerome Robbins' Fancy Free, The Concert and Interplay; Paul Taylor's Company B and Arden Court; and Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room and Nine Sinatra Songs. Since 2008, Mr. Stiles has also been the Producing Director for Shut Up & Dance, the Dancers of the Pennsylvania Ballet's annual benefit show for MANNA.
GUEST CHOREOGRAPHERS
Christopher Fleming, Former NYCB Member
As a member of the New York City Ballet, Mr. Fleming danced solo and principal roles in works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins and Peter Martins. He also headed a group of soloists and principals from the New York City Ballet, which toured Europe and performed his choreography as well as that of George Balanchine. With Mr. Balanchine's encouragement he embarked on a career as a choreographer and received a fellowship from the National Choreographic Institute.
Mr. Fleming served as the Artistic Director of the Compañia Colombiana de Ballet at the Teatro Colon in Bogota, Colombia from 1985 to 1990. For the last ten years he has served as Assistant Director and Resident Choreographer for The Rock School for Dance Education. He has choreographed a broad variety of works including traditional full-length works such as The Nutcracker (four different productions) and Romeo And Juliet (on three different companies) as well as original full-length works Gaspar and Dracula. Mr. Fleming has directed for the stage an international tour of the play K2 and choreographed the world premiere of Honky Tonk Angels the Garth Brooks musical. His work was seen Off-Broadway with the choreography for Anne Frank And Me at the American Jewish Theatre. He has choreographed The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe as well as Candide! for the famed Prince Musical Theatre in Philadelphia.
Other acclaimed works include Opus Three for the Kirov ballet, a choreographed and staged Grand Opening Ceremony for TITANIC The Exhibition, a rock and roll ballet, Janis & Joe, for The Dayton Ballet, and Edge of Assurances for Ohio Ballet. Additionally in 2001 he was co commissioned by The Dayton Ballet and The Ohio Ballet to create the critically acclaimed humorous baseball themed ballet Play Ball! - A Ballet in Nine Innings. Mr. Fleming has also created The Awakening for the Grand Opening of Jean Claude Gaugy’s museum in New Mexico, The Legend of Metatron for The Dayton Ballet, Degas and the Dance for an ABC TV special, and three Operas for The Sarasota Opera as well as Aida(2004) and Porgy and Bess (2005) for The Delaware Opera.
His choreographic awards include Silver Medals at the Festival Des Arts Des St. Sauveur in Quebec, the San Juan Competition and the Special Choreographic Award from the Youth American Grand Prix. Additionally his work has been featured by the Gold, Silver and Bronze Medal Winners at The Youth America Grand Prix, The Cuban National Ballet Competition, The Moscow International Ballet Competition, The NY International Ballet Competition and the USA International Ballet Competition. Recently, Mr. Fleming starred in and choreographed for MTV’s hit program the “MADE SHOW”. In 2007/2008, Mr Fleming choreographed and directed, to critical acclaim, a new and unique version of The Who’s Classic Rock Album, “TOMMY”, as well as a new full length production of A. Dumas’ Classic Tale of “The 3 Musketeers”.
Matthew Neenan - Co-Founder, Ballet X
Matthew Neenan began his dance training at the Boston Ballet School and with noted teachers Nan C. Keating and Jacqueline Cronsberg. He later attended the LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts and the School of American Ballet in New York.
In 1994, Matt joined the Pennsylvania Ballet where he has danced numerous principal roles in works by George Balanchine, John Cranko, Paul Taylor, Peter Martins, Val Caniparoli, Jorma Elo, Lila York, Meredith Rainey, Jessica Lang, Christopher Wheeldon and Jerome Robbins.
In 2000, Matt co-founded and co-directed Phrenic New Ballet, which toured extensively and featured Matt’s choreography in New York City, Baltimore and at the Jacob’s Pillow Festival in Becket, Massachusetts. Matt’s choreography has been featured by the Pennsylvania Ballet (totaling six commissions), Phrenic New Ballet, Philadelphia Opera Company, The Russian Ballet Theatre, LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts, and Ballet Pacifica. He has received numerous awards and grants for his choreography from the National Endowment of the Arts, Dance Advance funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Choo San Goh Foundation, and the Independence Foundation. He is also a three-time recipient of grants from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.
In 2002, Matt accepted an invitation and performed and taught at the Silesion International Dance Festival in Poland. He also participated in the Fall 2003 New York City Ballet Choreographic Institute under the direction of Peter Martins. In June 2004, Dance Theatre of Pennsylvania premiered Matt’s first full-length ballet, A Midsummer’s Nights Dream. Matt was featured in the February 2005 issues of Dance Magazine and Philadelphia Magazine.
Ronen Koresh - Founder, Koresh Dance Co.
Ronen (Roni) Koresh is a choreographer who brings his passion, emotion and zest for life to the fine art of movement. As does a master craftsman, he has faithfully pursued the daily task of dance creation for over twenty years and seems never to be at a loss for potential solutions to the artistic challenges that confront him.
Born and raised in Israel, Koresh began his dance education as a child. Initially, he trained and danced with his mother, a folk dancer in the Yemenite tradition and with a local Tel Aviv folk dance group. At seventeen, he moved on to more comprehensive study with Martha Graham's Bat Sheva Dance Company. Following a three-year enlistment in the Israeli army, during which he was able to continue with his dance training, he decided to pursue a career in the field.
Immigrating to the United States in 1983 at age 21, Koresh trained at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City. In 1984 he came to settle in Philadelphia where he performed with Shimon Braun's acclaimed Waves Jazz Dance Company. He was also one of the original Evening Magazine Dancers and won a People's Choice Award in 1987 as Philadelphia's Most Outstanding Jazz Dancer.
Eric Bean, Jr. Dancer, Koresh Dance Company
Eric BeanJr. began his formal training at United Dance Productions in Bermuda at the age of fifteen. Under the tutelage of Ms. Suezette Harvey (founder and artistic director Bermuda Dance Company) he received a strong foundation in Ballet, modern dance, jazz, and a number of social dance styles including African dance, hip-hop and Irish step dancing. Here he was privileged to study under guest faculty such as Kevin Malone, Kimberly Gibson and Nathan Trice to name a few. As a student of United Dance Productions and a member of its Jr. Company, many doors opened for him to learn more and more about the art of dance such as traveling to WashingtonD.C. to perform with the DukeEllingtonSchool of the Arts as well as a performance along side The University of the Arts. It was during the preparation for this production that he was awarded a full scholarship to attend the 2002 Summer World of Dance at University of the Arts.
Since then, Eric has gone on to attend University of the Arts where he graduated in May of 2007 with a BFA in Dance Education, double emphasizing in Modern Dance and Choreography. An up and coming choreographer, he has had the opportunity to set works professionally on the Bermuda Civic Ballet, Eleone Connection and Eleone Dance Theater – a professional dance company based in Philadelphia with which he performed as a principle dancer and soloist from 2003 to 2007. Currently in his second season as a member of the Koresh Dance Company, he has had the opportunity to work with outstanding choreographers such as Ronen Koresh, Christopher L. Huggins, Milton Myers, Shawn-Lamere Williams, Robert Battle and renowned international choreographer Itszik Galili to name a few. He is always sure to give thanks to God, his parents and his mentors Suezette Harvey and Shawn-Lamere Williams for always encouraging him to grow through the passion he finds from dance.
