Amar Ramasar

Amar Ramasar
Born	1981/1982 (age 34–35) Bronx, New York
Occupation	ballet dancer
Current group	New York City Ballet

Amar Ramasar (born 1981/1982) is a principal dancer of the New York City Ballet. In 2010, Dance Magazine reported that Ramasar was one of the few Asian American professional ballet dancers. He took his first dance lessons at the Henry Street Settlement House on the Lower East Side, to which he commuted by subway from his home in the South Bronx almost daily.

Amar Ramasar was born in the Bronx, New York City. His father, who is of Trinidadian and Indian descent, is a former United States Marine who worked as a computer technician while Amar was growing up. His mother, who is Puerto Rican, worked as a registered nurse. Outgoing and talkative as a child, he says "No one knew anything about ballet in my family".

When he was 10 years old, a music teacher in his public school became impressed with Ramasar's creative talents. The teacher urged Ramasar to audition for the TADA! Youth Theater. Ramasar was one of two children selected from more than 300 who tried out. Because his parents worked full-time, Ramasar learned to take the New York City Subway from his home in the South Bronx to the studio on the Lower East Side, and rode public transit to get to the daily rehearsals. At the Henry Street Settlement House, where he took daily lessons, Ramasar met Daniel Catanach, a choreographer working with TADA! Youth Theater. Ramasar was 11 years old when Catanach showed him a videotape of the New York City Ballet production of Agon, featuring Heather Watts and Mel Tomlinson. Ramasar became instantly fascinated by ballet. He later recalled thinking to himself, "That's the ballet I want to dance, and that's the company I'm going to get into".

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