BAD BOYS OF DANCE Comes to Three Stages, 1/24

Founded by dance superstar Rasta Thomas (Dance Theater of Harlem, Kirov Ballet), the Bad Boys of Dance are a fresh, new dance company that has performed in Carnegie Hall with Sir Elton John and have toured 150 cities performing for 500,000 fans. Talented, young, versatile, and male-mostly-the Bad Boys will bring to Three Stages a night of extraordinary athleticism and endearing individuality.

Rasta Thomas' Bad Boys of Dance will perform in Three Stages on Thursday, January 24, 2013 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are 25-$45. Premium tickets are available for $55; Students with ID $12. They may be purchased online at www.threestages.net or from Three Stages Ticket Office at 916-608-6888 from 10 am to 6 pm, Monday through Saturday, and two hours before show time. Three Stages is located on the west side of Folsom Lake College campus in Folsom, CA, facing East Bidwell Street.

The versatility and talent of Rasta Thomas' Bad Boys of Dance push the bounds of dance today with athletic jumps, endless turns and endearing individuality. BBD dancers have performed on Broadway, been in feature films, and have been adored by millions on hit TV shows like Dancing with the Stars. In 2010 they performed at Carnegie Hall in NYC with Sir Elton John for a Rainforest charity event also starring Lady Gaga, Sting, Bruce Springsteen and more. They also had the distinct honor of performing at the opening ceremonies of the USA International Ballet Competition. In 2011 they made a special guest performance on FOX TV's So You Think You Can Dance and are currently touring the world with their hit shows, ROCK the Ballet and Tap Stars. "Bad Boys of Dance strive to free ballet from its prissy aura... Bad Boys of Dance are proclaiming loud and clear that ballet is sexy, spectacular, and yes, very masculine" (The New Yorker).

Bad Boys of Dance was founded in 2007 by dance superstar Rasta Thomas. He was the first American to become a member of the Kirov Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia in 2001. In 2003 he joined the Dance Theatre of Harlem.
Rasta was born in San Francisco in 1981 and raised in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. As a teenager, he made dance competition history with honors. They included the Special Jury Prize from the 1994 Paris International Dance Competition, the Gold Medal in the Junior Men's Division from the 1996 Varna International Ballet Competition, and the Gold Medal in the Senior Men's Division from the Jackson, MS USA-IBC. Rasta was a member of Le Jeune Ballet de France and in 1997, was invited to be a Principal Dancer with the Hartford Ballet. Some of his guest credits include American Ballet Theatre, Victor Ullate Ballet of Spain, National Ballet of China, Joffrey Ballet, Lines Contemporary Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, and Pacific Northwest Ballet.

Rasta has danced diverse roles from Albrecht in Giselle, "Basilio in Don Quixote, Ali in Le Corsaire, to works by Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Debbie Allen, Ulysses Dove and Jerry Mitchell. Rasta has been in several TV documentaries, performed at the Academy Awards, has performed at the White House for the President of the United States and has appeared at Harlem's famous Apollo Theater. Rasta starred on Broadway in Twyla Tharp's hit musical, Movin' Out and as a guest artist in Othello in the title role with American Ballet Theatre for their Met season.

Three Stages: Inspire, Include, Instruct!
Three Stages at Folsom Lake College presents touring artists from around the world; partners with the best regional arts organizations, and supports productions by FLC students and faculty.

Three Stages at Folsom Lake College is a $50 million performing and visual arts center that opened in February 2011. Located on the campus, Three Stages includes three intimate performance venues (850, 200, 100 seats), an art gallery, a recording studio, ample rehearsal and classroom space, a full service ticket office plus all the amenities of a state-of-the-art performance venue. Parking is free on weekends and for those buying tickets in advance.

A renaming of Three Stages is currently under way. The new name, Harris Center for the Arts, honors Dr. Brice Harris, Chancellor Emeritus of the Los Rios Community College District, for his many contributions to the Capital Region, including providing the vision and leadership that lead to the opening of this regional arts center.