Rasta Thomas

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 director/owner of the ShowBiz National Talent Competition.

Thomas is a past winner of prestigious ballet competitions worldwide and has been a guest with numerous dance companies.

Rasta Thomas was raised in Washington, D.C. 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 Taekwondo 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 was eight years old, his father signed him up for gymnastics and swimming.

In gymnastics, he took private lessons under Jamel Eddin Chaabani, who was the head coach of the Tunisian and Saudi National Olympic Teams.

In swimming and during the same year Rasta won the gold medal in the butterfly stroke during the Saudi Arabia Final in Dahran.

Thomas 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 étoile, "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 the Washington School of Ballet.

Thomas' father would take his son to see many ballet companies 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 thirteen, 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 thirteen he became the youngest person ever to receive the Jury Prize at the 1994 Paris International Dance Competition.

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.

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 fifteen, 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."

At the 1998 USA International Ballet Competition, Thomas won the gold medal, a scholarship, and a cash prize in the senior men's division.

In 1998, already a seasoned performer despite being a minor, he was permitted to perform in the senior division of the USA International Ballet Competition (USAIBC).

Thomas won the gold medal, and at 16 years old became the youngest to win in the senior division, beating Mikhail Baryshnikov's previous record age of 18.

The win opened up new opportunities for the dancer.

Later that year, he and three other dancers, including Adrienne Canterna, originated the piece for the tenth season of The Vail International Dance Festival.

The couple performed at the festival again in 1999.

Upon returning to the US, he went to Los Angeles to begin his commercial career: he hired an agent, danced in a GAP commercial and had a solo in the Debbie-Allen choreographed 1999 Academy Awards.

Thomas conceived and directed In Homage: A Tribute to Families With AIDS, a benefit for Self-Help Community Services and its Family Home Care program.

He was enjoying commercial success and popular recognition, but after a conversation with one of his mentors, Arthur Mitchell, he decided to "get back on an artist's path."

Thomas moved to New York City and joined the Dance Theatre of Harlem (under the tutelage of Mitchell) in what would prove to be their final season.

Instead of signing to another company, Thomas decided to become a guest dancer.

While Thomas was dining with choreographer Vladimir Angelov, a friend told Thomas that he was wasting his talent by only performing at galas.

Angelov agreed, remarking that excellent danseurs are expected to belong to premier companies.

Shortly after their dinner, Angelov introduced Thomas to Gerhard Rieder, who presents the Kirov Ballet in Europe, who in turn introduced Rasta to the Kirov's company manager, Makharbek Vaziev.

Rieder invited Thomas to perform in Kirov's February 2001 three-hour gala in St. Petersburg.

He performed a dance Angelov choreographed to "Flight of the Bumblebee," to rave reviews, including from Valery Gergiev, artistic director of the Kirov Ballet and Opera.

Vaziev invited Thomas to residency with the ballet and a stipend of $150 a month while granting him freedom accept independent work; Thomas declined due to a filming commitment in the movie Without a Word, so Vaziev extended his invitation to the fall.

Though Thomas enjoyed the filming experience he realized his dancing career was finite.