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Rashaan James II is a versatile performer, educator, and advocate with an extensive career in the arts. He went to the University at Buffalo for a BFA in Musical Theatre and a BA in Dance....Read more
Rashaan James II is a versatile performer, educator, and advocate with an extensive career in the arts. He went to the University at Buffalo for a BFA in Musical Theatre and a BA in Dance. Rashaan's performance credits include Crazy for You at Lincoln Center (Junior) directed by the legendary Susan Stroman, Dreamgirls alongside Jennifer Holliday (Tru-Tone/5 Tuxes), the Dirty Dancing U.S. Tour (Ensemble), the West Side Story International Tour, the South Pacific 1st National Tour (Swing), and the 42nd Street National Tour.
As a dance educator, Rashaan has shared his expertise in tap, jazz, ballet, and musical theatre at prestigious studios and universities across the globe, including New York City, Osaka, Vancouver, Paris, London, and Toronto. He is currently on faculty at Steps on Broadway, Deviate Dance, and the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA), shaping the next generation of performers.
Rashaan is also a proud member of Actors' Equity Association, where he serves as the Eastern Regional Vice President, advocating for the rights and welfare of his fellow stage managers and actors.
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Rashaan's tap class is best for developing and maintaining technique through exercises, across the floor, tap turns, and combination. His combinations are greatly inspired a classical musical theater style of tap dance, infused with complex and intricate rhythms. Rashaan emphasizes that it’s not just called tap, it’s called tap DANCE.