Rasta Thomas
| Rasta Thomas | |
|---|---|
| Born |
July 18, 1981 San Francisco, United States |
| Current group | Bad Boys of Dance |
| Dances | Ballet |
Rasta Kuzma Ramacandra (known professionally as Rasta Thomas) was born on July 18, 1981 in San Francisco and is a dancer, martial artist, gymnast and choreographer. Thomas is the founder of the Bad Boys of Dance and is also now the artistic director of the ShowBiz National Talent Competition. Thomas is a past winner of prestigious ballet competitions worldwide and has guested with numerous dance companies. He is married to Adrienne Canterna and has a young daughter.
Rasta Thomas was raised in Washington, DC. His parents—both physicians—traveled widely and took their son with them. When Thomas was two years old, he broke his leg in a jeep accident, and as a result, began disciplined therapeutic physical training. Thomas' father enrolled the boy in tae kwon do lessons at the age of three. By the time Thomas was seven, his father felt he was being disrespectful to his teachers and so, as punishment, enrolled him in ballet classes. When Rasta eight years old (1989) his father sign him up in gymnastics and in Swimming .In gymnastics he was taking private lessons under The Pro internationally well known Head gymnastics coach Jamel Eddin Chaabani from Tunisia who was the Head Coach of the Tunisian and Saudi National Olympic Teams and has produced big names in the world of Artistic Gymnastics in the international Arena. Rasta reached under Coach Chaabani s instruction an incredible level during that year .He learned how to do all his acrobatic exercises such as Front handsprings, back handsprings, front air somersaults, back air somersaults, back layouts and round off back handspring back tuck and layout .It was a big achievement considering his very young age( only eight years old ) and the short period he was trained in gymnastics ( Seven months ).
In swimming and during the same year Rasta won the gold medal in the butterfly stroke during the Saudi Arabia Final in Dahran .
Thomas excelled and entered the commercial competition circuit, winning StarQuest, Showbiz, and Star Power dance contests. Over time, he developed aspirations of becoming an action-movie star while working as an , "leading dancer" or star, in the Paris Opera House.
Thomas received his dance training from the age of twelve at The Kirov Academy of Ballet, in Washington, D.C., and also studied at Washington School of Ballet. Thomas' father would take his son to see all the great ballet companies that would perform at the Kennedy Center for the Arts. His father would then ask dancers if they would grant his son classes, and they often obliged. At age 13, Thomas trained under Dawei Zhang at the Maryland Youth Ballet; of Zhang, Thomas said "The technique I learned from him is the blueprint that's allowed me to have a career." At the age of 13 he became the youngest person ever to receive the Jury Prize at the 1994 Paris International Dance Competition. Although he was enrolled at Kirov in time for the 1996 Varna International Ballet Competition, the school had a policy of only sending dancers sure to win the gold. So Thomas represented the Seiskaya School of Ballet of New York instead (with whom he was doing guest performances at the time) and Gerald Arpino, Arthur Mitchell and Debbie Allen sponsored him at a cost of $30,000. At 15 he was awarded the Junior Gold Medal at the event, becoming the youngest ever to win and while on a foot he injured in karate class. After his win, The New York Times announced, "Look out, world. Rasta Thomas has arrived." In 1995, Thomas became a member of Le Jeune Ballet de France, and in 1997 was invited by the Hartford Ballet to be a principal artist. At the 1998 USA International Ballet Competition, Thomas won the gold medal, a scholarship, and a cash prize in the senior men's division.
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