Faculty
CARA MCMANUS
GRAHAM TECHNIQUE
Cara trained in her hometown of Falmouth, MA before earning a BFA in Dance and a BA in Comparative Literature from Fordham University and the Ailey School. Post-graduation, she danced with the Pantos Project before joining Graham 2 in New York City. A year later, she joined the Martha Graham Dance Company, where she performed in NYC Seasons and on tours for four years. She has also danced with the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company and with Joshua Beamish’s MOVE/THECOMPANY, as well as being featured in the film The White Wolf by director Sue de Beer. She has taught the Graham technique at Peridance and New Jersey City University, and currently dances with the Caterina Rago Dance Company and teaches at the Graham School and The New Jersey Dance Theatre Ensemble.
AMANDA GAUDETTE
commercial jazz/hip hop
Amanda Gaudette was born and raised in NH and currently resides just outside of NYC. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Dance and Minor in Business from The Joan Phelps Palladino School of Dance at Dean College. Amanda is currently employed by a major cruise line as a Show Director and Choreographer. As a professional dancer, aerialist, and dance captain she has performed all over the world with, The New England Patriots Cheerleaders, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Simonwill Productions and Norwegian Cruise Lines. Additionally, Gaudette is the Associate Choreographer of Norwegian Cruise Lines Production of Footloose the Musical onboard the Norwegian Joy. As the audition choreographer, Gaudette continues to travel teaching across the US and Canada! Amanda loves getting to teach for Pantos Project Dance and is overjoyed to be coming back again this summer!
HEATHER DORLER
JAZZ/MUSICAL THEATRE
Heather Dorler is a graduate from the University at Buffalo where she received her BFA in Dance Performance. At UB, she was a member of the Zodiaque Dance Company and performed in pieces ranging from modern, house hip-hop, Fosse inspired jazz, Bharatanatyam and so much more. Heather’s training also brought her to Lucca, Italy for the three week intensive, Dance Italia, where she studied under NobleMotion, Kidd Pivott and Ohad Naharin Rep. For 7 years, she has been an instructor for the Universal Dance Association where she coaches high school and college competition dance teams in technique, game day routines and leadership. Heather has been an apprentice with Pantos Project Dance for 2 years now and also choreographs and coaches for Hingham High School, spending the rest of her time as a fitness coach at Orangetheory. Her latest performances include being dance captain/ensemble in the hit musical “Rock of Ages” at the Kavinoky Theatre and ensemble in “Oklahoma!” at the Reagle Music Theatre.
Carolyn Breton pantos
HORTON TECHNIQUE
Carolyn Breton began her dance training at Lisa Pilato Dance Center in her hometown of Dracut, MA and went on to receive her Bachelor of Fine Arts from The Boston Conservatory. Breton has premiered choreography at the Boston Conservatory Dance Theatre & Boston Contemporary Dance Festival, along with numerous competition works. Breton holds a Master's Degree in Education from Northeastern University and is currently a full time dance teacher at Lowell High School. Breton has been a company dancer with Pantos Project Dance since its inception performing in various venues throughout New York and New England. Breton is PPD’s Rehearsal Director and educator at PPD intensives.
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LISA COLE
IMPROVISATION | PILATES
Lisa Cole began her dance training in Georgia with Good Moves Dance Consort under the direction of Annette Lewis. Early in her career, Lisa performed as a guest artist with the José Limón Dance Company and acted as a rehearsal assistant under Ann Vachon and Clay Taliaferro during The Missa Brevis Project at Emory University. She is an alumna of both Perry-Mansfield and Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Traditions programs. Lisa received her BFA in dance performance from The Boston Conservatory, graduating cum laude in 2011. Upon graduation, she joined Boston’s Urbanity Dance, where she performed for three seasons. Over the course of her career, Lisa has had the privilege of performing works by José Limón, Paul Taylor, Alwin Nikolais, Alvin Ailey, Robert Battle, Aszure Barton, Helen Pickett, Jessica Lang and Larry Keigwin, among others. Lisa is honored to have been a member of Pantos Project since it’s founding in 2014. Lisa works as both a dance and fitness educator, specializing in improvisation and somatic techniques. Through both her dance and fitness backgrounds, she has intensely studied anatomy, physiology, and nutrition, as well as Pilates and the Alexander Technique. She has received certifications from NASM, Power Pilates, Exhale Barre, CrossFit, Foundation Training, and btone FITNESS, where she currently works as a Master Trainer and leads the Instructor Training program.
Melenie Diarbekirian
BALLET | PPDii
Melenie Diarbekirian began her formal dance training at the Acton School of Ballet under the direction of Kathryn Anderson and Chip Morris. She was also a member of the Commonwealth Ballet Company, a pre-professional ballet company based in Acton, MA, for three seasons. Melenie received her BFA in dance performance, graduating cum laude in 2011 from The Boston Conservatory. Upon graduation, Melenie joined Urbanity Dance, where she performed for five seasons, and Luminarium Dance Company, where she is in her ninth season. Melenie also dances with Turning Key Dance, and has been a member of Pantos Project Dance since 2015. Throughout her career, she has had the privilege to perform works by José Limón, Anna Sokolow, Alwin Nikolais, Thang Dao, Larry Keigwin, Jaclyn Walsh, and Andy Noble. Melenie also had the opportunity to be in Reagle Music Theatre’s Oklahoma! as a member of the Ensemble, performing the original Agnes de Mille choreography, restaged by Gemze de Lappe. Melenie has performed all around New England and New York in venues including The Boston Opera House, Jacob's Pillow, and the ICA/Boston. Melenie is a faculty member at the Acton School of Ballet teaching ballet to young dancers ages 4-18, and serves as the Ballet Mistress for the Commonwealth Ballet Company.
KENDALL BUSH
intensive & Mover program assistant
Kendall Bush grew up in Lexington, Massachusetts studying at Acton School of Ballet under director Chip Morris. In 2012 she started apprenticing with Urbanity Dance, performing throughout Boston. Through Urbanity she met Marcus Schulkind and began studying with him on scholarship at Green Street Studios. Kendall was accepted into The Boston Conservatory at Berklee, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 2019 with a BFA in Contemporary Dance Performance with an emphasis in ballet. At the conservatory she worked with Darrell Moultrie, Yury Yanowsky, Greg Dawson and Jon Ole Olstad. Kendall began dancing with Pantos Project Dance in 2016 and has had the pleasure of performing with the company throughout the East Coast and assisting Pantos in master classes around New England.
KAT PANTOS
DIRECTOR | CONTEMPORARY | CHOREOGRAPHY | PPDii
Kat Pantos received her B.S. in Dance Performance and Management from Plymouth State University. Upon graduation, Pantos toured nationally with multiple contemporary dance companies. She has worked with artists such as Robert Battle, Roni Koresh, Amanda Whitworth, & Tommy Neblett, among others. In 2012, Pantos moved to New York City with a vision to expand her artistic library and research. She founded Pantos Project Dance (PPD) and moved the professional company to Boston. PSU featured Pantos as an 'Alumni in the Arts' commissioning PPD for an evening length show. Since the inaugural season, PPD has performed in venues across New England & New York, including Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out stage. Pantos is sought out for her educational classes and choreography. PPD holds annual intensives and a pre-professional youth program. Pantos choreographs commercial work for studios throughout the New England area and most recently, an adjunct faculty member and guest choreographer at University of New Hampshire, Salve Regina University, and Rhode Island College. Pantos strives to inspire students to develop their own artistic abilities while continuing to advance technically and create choreography that is stimulating to the artist and audience alike.