ARTISTIC STAFF

Claire Solis is a distinguished artist whose career spans elite ballet institutions, Broadway stages, and national tours. She brings a wealth of professional experience and artistic vision to her role as Artistic Director of Central New York Ballet.

Claire received her early training at Ballet and Dance of Upstate NY under the direction of Kathleen Rathbun. At 16, she was accepted into The Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia, where she trained under renowned mentor Mariaelena Ruiz. During her time there, she earned a silver medal at the Youth America Grand Prix New York City Finals for her performance of the Black Swan pas de deux.

Claire went on to perform with The Washington Ballet, under the direction of Septime Webre, where she danced both corps and soloist roles in works by George Balanchine, including Serenade and Theme and Variations, as well as world premieres such as Alice in Wonderland, Sleepy Hollow, and Carmina Burana. She performed as a cygnet in Kirk Peterson’s Swan Lake, starring Misty Copeland and Brooklyn Mack, and danced Aurora in Sleeping Beauty with The Washington Ballet’s Studio Company.

Her career expanded to musical theatre when she joined Actors’ Equity Association following her participation in Susan Stroman’s lab production of Little Dancer, understudying New York City Ballet’s Tiler Peck. She made her Broadway debut in 2017 as “Victoria” in the revival of CATS, and in 2018 was cast as an original company member of the first U.S. national tour of Anastasia.

Claire is a two-time bronze medalist at the World Ballet Competition and has appeared on national television programs including America’s Got Talent and So You Think You Can Dance. Claire is a founding dancer with CNY Ballet, joining the company at its start in January 2024. Before that, she danced with Syracuse City Ballet for five seasons, performing lead roles such as Cinderella in Cinderella, Kitri in Don Quixote, Diana in Diana and Acteon, and Odette/Odile in Swan Lake excerpts.

In addition to her performance career, Claire is a passionate teacher and choreographer. She serves on the faculty at Ballet and Dance of Upstate NY, where she coaches students at all levels. Her choreographic works have been showcased at the Youth America Grand Prix Finals for three consecutive years.

Claire holds a Bachelor of Arts in Performing Arts from Saint Mary’s College of California, where she graduated magna cum laude through the LEAP program.

Since CNYB’s inception, Claire has served as a Dancer Representative to the board of directors and aided in encouraging an open line of communication between artistic and executive staff. Claire understands firsthand and holds in high priority the core values and mission statement of the organization. As Artistic Director of Central New York Ballet, Claire is committed to presenting work of the highest artistic caliber. She seeks to enrich the cultural landscape of Central New York while cultivating an environment where dancers can build meaningful careers. Equally devoted to educating and inspiring the next generation, she has a strong mission to make ballet and the arts accessible to all—welcoming and engaging audiences from every background, therefore uniting us all through the transformative power of dance.

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Kathleen Rathbun, founder and Artistic Director of Ballet and Dance of Upstate NY, has dedicated over 30 years to developing expressive, technically strong dancers. A former soloist with the Princeton Ballet Society of New Jersey and the Dancer’s Ensemble of Syracuse, she studied at Juilliard on scholarship and trained with David Howard, Melissa Hayden, Finis Young, and Deborah Boughton. Kathleen has taught at Syracuse University and directed the Dance Department at the Metropolitan School of the Arts. In 1997, she reintroduced full-scale classical productions to Central New York, presenting works such as Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet, and The Nutcracker with the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra.

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Sherri Campagni, Rehearsal Director, began her training at the Center of Ballet and Dance Arts in Syracuse and spent summers on scholarship with Milwaukee Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, and NYSSSA. In 1994 she began a 20-year international partnership with Sergio Neglia, performing as a principal dancer with Neglia Ballet in Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, Spartacus, Giselle, and works by Mark Dimond, Heidi Halt, and Victor Plotnikov. Sherri is on faculty at Tawn Marie’s Dance Center and is a frequent guest teacher with Neglia Ballet. She is thrilled to serve as Rehearsal Director for CNY Ballet.

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Ryo Munakata began training at Etoile Ballet Studio and later at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at ABT, expanding his studies with Manhattan Youth Ballet. A finalist at the USA IBC (2018) and Beijing IBC (2019), he has danced professionally with Minnesota Ballet, Connecticut Ballet, Ballet West, Rochester City Ballet, and New York State Ballet, where he also served as Ballet Master. Ryo is now the founder and Artistic Director of Ballet of New York Arts Collective and is delighted to work with Central New York Ballet.