Biography
Rain Ross
Rain Ross is an actor, choreographer, dancer, educator, and creative consultant. As a dancer, she worked with a diverse range of choreographers including Toni Pimble, Wade Madsen, Deanna Carter, David Dorfman, Catherine Cabeen, and Hannah Wiley, and performed with The Playhouse Dance Company in South Africa, and Arc Dance in Seattle. Rain has presented her choreography at the Between the Seas Festival in New York, The A.W.A.R.D. Show – Philadelphia, Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts, SB-ADaPT Festival, DUMBO Dance, The Mid-Atlantic Choreographers Festival, and others.
As an actor, she has performed onstage and screen, including as Peter Pan in an original adaptation of the story, and as Rose in Dancing at Lughnasa. She has also taken her acting skills into voice acting work.
In 2011, Rain participated in the first annual International Dance Day Festival in Lebanon and then became the Guest Artist Coordinator for the festival. She has participated in all of the 14 years of this festival as Guest Artist Coordinator, teacher, choreographer, and/or performer, helping to build community through dance in the Middle East.
Rain was born in Hawaii and grew up moving to many places; travel and moving have been part of her life for as long as she knows, and it is part of what feeds her creativity and her teaching. Through engaging with others and other cultures, and embracing change, we can find new avenues and new ways of being in the world, allowing us to reach our potential.
Currently, Rain serves as Professor of Dance at Stockton University in New Jersey and lives in Philadelphia with her cat, Frankie.
Actor
Rain Ross is an experienced stage and screen actor, and is beginning to add voice acting to her offerings. Her work as an actor is informed by her extensive movement training, giving a fully embodied performance.
Choreographer
Rain Ross has choreographed multiple works for ballet and modern companies, both nationally and internationally. Her work highlights exquisite movement and human connection. Rain is available for commissions and guest artist works and residencies.
Rain Ross Dance, a 501(c)(3) company, performs the work of Rain Ross and guest choreographers periodically at various festivals and events.
Educator
As a master teacher, Rain Ross cultivates the individual artist, emphasizing autonomy over the information. Through improvisation, modern, or ballet classes, students are given a thorough movement class to build upon their skills, while also encouraged to bring forth their own understanding of the technique.
Rain, who has been teaching for over two decades, has taught at a number of universities, including Mount Holyoke College, Stockton University, and University of Iowa, and has been a guest and master teacher for universities, festivals, and companies.
Creative Consultant
Bringing with her decades of creative and organizational experience, Rain Ross provides insight, guidance, and creative solutions for various industries.