Janet Panetta (December 12, 1948 - December 2, 2023) was an American dancer, teacher, choreographer, and performer who made significant contributions to both classical ballet and contemporary dance forms.
Her ballet studies were initiated in 1954 at the age of 6 as a physical therapy in response to contracting polio in early childhood.[1] Her first teacher was a former showgirl who told Panetta's parts that the seven-year old Panetta was too talented to be in her class.[2] She moved to study with Celine Keller and then studied at the Metropolitan Opera Ballet School where her teachers included her eventual mentor Margaret Craske, a disciple of the Italian dance master Enrico Cecchetti. Her other teachers at the Metropolitan Opera Ballet School included Antony Tudor and Alfredo Corvino. Panetta started working as Craske's teaching assistant when she was 14 years old.[3] [4]
As a dancer, Panetta was a member of Paul Sanasardo's company[5] after joining the American Ballet Theatre in the late 1960s[6] [7]
Panetta started the Panetta Movement Center in the 1970s and ran the company until 2010.
Panetta's work as a choreographer included performances within Danspace Project.[8] She performed her own choreographic work[9] as well as the choreography of Neil Greenberg,[10] Peter Healey,[11] and others.
Stemming from her work in France beginning in the early '80s Janet was engaged to teach by the Tanztheater Wupperthal, founded in Germany by the groundbreaking choreographer Pina Bausch. Her work in Europe included teaching at P.A.R.T.S. (Performing Arts Research and Training Studio), a school for contemporary dance in Brussels.[12] She also taught at the ImPulsTanz festival in Vienna every summer from 1997 - 2021.[13]
Janet Panetta died on December 2, 2023.
In 2008 Panetta was awarded the Mid-Career Award from the Martha Hill Dance Fund.[14]