OUR
FOUNDER AND CHOREOGRAPHER
NOEMI ARAXI
Noemi Araxi Kelejian is an Armenian-American ballet and ice skating choreographer, master teacher and former Principal Dancer with the Armenian National Ballet. Identified at a young age for her talent and passion for dance, Noemi was invited to attend the National Choreographic Ballet College of Armenia in Yerevan. Her teachers were the most influential in the field of ballet from throughout the former Soviet Union. Upon graduation, Noemi joined the National Opera and Ballet Theater of Armenia (formerly the U.S.S.R. Opera and Ballet Theater of Armenia), and rapidly advanced to become one of its principal dancers. Her choreographers and teachers include her greatest mentor Maxim Martirosyan, along with the legendary Dudinskaya and her husband, Sergeyev, Balabina, Vinogradov, Preabrajinksy, Uri Kamaledenov, along with many others. During her tenure as Principal Dancer Noemi performed in countries throughout the former Soviet Union in both classical and character roles. She danced at the Bolshoi and Mariinsky (formerly Kirov) Theaters where she was presented with the prestigious “GRAMMATA AWARD,” in 1976. She later toured internationally throughout Europe, South America and North America, performing distinguished roles in Lorkiana, Antuni, Chopinana, Hamlet, Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Laurencia, Gayanne, Spartacus, Giselle, Masquerade, Othello and Romeo and Juliet among many others.
In the early 1980s, Noemi moved to San Francisco and joined the faculty of San Francisco Ballet, where she taught higher level dance classes for eight years. She has also taught and choreographed throughout the Bay Area’s foremost ballet schools and companies. With her growing popularity as both a nurturing teacher and talented choreographer Noemi became highly sought after in the skating world. Her 32-year legacy teaching and choreographing for ice-skaters continues to this day. Among her many ice skating students, Noemi taught and choreographed for World Junior Champion Derrick Delmore in the 5 years leading up to his 1998 title, which he received performing her choreography.
In 2003, Noemi founded ARAX Dance. As the group’s Artistic Director and Choreographer she began developing a unique storytelling approach to cultural dance that instantly set her company apart. She choreographed The Crane for Armenian ballerina Victoria Ananyan as a tribute to legendary Armenian composer Komitas. Noemi’s future projects, dedicated to Armenia, are currently in development.