Cassa Pancho – Artistic Director & Founder

Of Trinidadian and British parents, Cassa trained at the Royal Academy of Dance. Upon graduating in 2001, she founded Ballet Black to provide role models to young, aspiring black and Asian dancers. A year later, she opened the Ballet Black School in Shepherd's Bush and in 2004, the BB Associate Programme, which currently has over one hundred members. The Company and Associate Programme are based at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London.

Raymond Chai – Chief Ballet Master

Born in Malaysia, Raymond has worked in television, musical theatre and classical ballet. He danced with the National Ballet of Portugal and in musical theatre productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company; the London Palladium; Royal National Theatre and Theatre Royal, as well as in Stuttgart, Hamburg and Zurich. His credits for German television include Tatort and Zorc and he choreographed for the UK television show, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet for the BBC. Raymond’s other choreographic commissions include working for the National Ballet of Portugal; Hong Kong Ballet; Sommer Tanz Fest (Berlin and Switzerland); Staatstheater Karlsruhe and Atelier at the Music Room in London. Raymond has been guest teacher for Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures; Richard Alston Dance Company; Hong Kong Ballet; Mavin Khoo Dance Company; Ballett de Badisches; Staatstheater Karlsruhe; Ballett de Niedersachsische; Staatstheater Hanover; National Ballet of Portugal; Singapore Dance; English National Ballet and Rambert Dance Company. He also teaches Professional Ballet at Dance Works in London.

Darrius Gray – Dancer

Darrius received scholarships from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, the Dance Theatre of Harlem School, Boston Ballet Summer Workshops, and the Joffrey Ballet School (affiliated with the New School University). He danced with the Dancing through Barriers® Ensemble before joining the Dance Theatre of Harlem company. For three years Darrius was with Ballet Metropolitan in Columbus, Ohio under the directorship of Gerald Charles that included both classical and contemporary works. Darrius was also a performer on a Sea Princess Cruise in 2007 and is delighted to be a part of Ballet Black this season.

Cira Robinson– Dancer

Cira was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she began dancing at the age of eight, spending many summers training with the Cincinnati Ballet. After graduating from the Performing Arts School in 2004, she moved to New York to dance full-time with Dance Theater of Harlem. During her three years there, she performed at the White House for the President of the United States, as well as the Protégé Festival. This is her first time dancing with a company in London, and Cira hopes to learn and grow with Ballet Black for many years to come.

Jaime Rodney– Dancer

After graduating from LaGuardia High School of Music, Art and Performing Arts in New York, Jaime attended S.U.N.Y Purchase where he majored in dance and minored in arts management. He has performed throughout the US, Canada, Asia and Europe with companies and festivals including the Francesca Harper Project, New England Dance Theater, Setsuko Kawaguchi Ballet Company Japan, The Kevin Wynne Project, Hong Kong Dance Festival, the Holland Dance Festival and the Montreal Professional Project. Jaime has studied at various schools and programs including Alvin Ailey, Perry Mansfield, Ballet Academy East, Summer Stages and the Brooklyn Music School. He has also had the opportunity to work with and perform works by choreographers such as Nacho Duato, Gerald Arpino, George Balanchine, Laurie Stalling, Azzure Barton, and Merce Cunningham to name a few. He joined Ballet Black in 2008.

Nandita Shankardass– Dancer

Nandita was born in London. From the age of eleven, she trained at The Royal Ballet School, and during her time there was awarded the James Monahan award for choreography and won second place for two consecutive years in the Dame Ninette de Valois choreographic competition. As a student, she performed with The Royal Ballet and The Birmingham Royal Ballet in productions of Swan Lake, Giselle, The Nutcracker, Coppelia, The Firebird and Romeo and Juliet. After graduating in 2001 she joined Zurich Ballet under the direction of Heinz Spoerli and choreographed a new commission, Capture for Zurich Junior Ballet in 2006. In 2003 she was nominated for The Asian Jewel Award in London for outstanding British Asians in Media and the Arts. In 2006, Nandita joined Victor Ullate Ballet in Madrid, before becoming part of Ballet Black in 2008.

Jazmon Voss – Dancer

Jaz was born in Utica, New York and started his ballet training at the age of four at the Munson Williams Proctor Arts Institute. At fifteen, he began attending Summer Intensive courses at the Rock School of Philadelphia and the Nutmeg Conservatory in Connecticut. The following year, he was accepted into the Dance Through Barriers® Ensemble, a part of Dance Theatre of Harlem, under the direction of Arthur Mitchell. Jaz joined Ballet Black in 2008.

Stephanie Williams – Dancer

Born in Utah and raised in Texas, Stephanie received her training at the Dallas Dance Academy and was most recently a fellowship recipient at The Ailey School. She has also studied at Alonzo King's LINES Ballet, The Juilliard School, and Houston Ballet Academy. She is a 2006 National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts Award winner, a 2006 Youth America Grand Prix Finalist, and a 2004 Texas Commission on the Arts Young Master. Prior to joining Ballet Black, Stephanie was a member of Ben Stevenson's Texas Ballet Theater.

“There is not a weak moment here. [Ballet Black] well and truly buries the sly old arguments about the black physique not being "adapted" to classical dance. The sight of gorgeous Monica Stephenson strutting her Balanchine style in a tiny white bikini, or tall Damien Johnson streaking out in a series of diagonal jumps of radiant poise and finish - leaves such qualms looking quite absurd.”

Jenny Gilbert, The Independent on Sunday, February 2007