LaWanda Raines

A lover of all dances and investigator of cultural intersections through dance. She received her BFA in Dance and Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University, and her MFA from St. Marys’ college of California. She has worked in RVA since 1998 as a teaching artist, performer, choreographer and in dance production. The breadth of her dance training includes ballet, jazz, hip hop, Modern, Somatic dance practices, dance for special needs, gymnastics, Salsa, merengue, Cha Cha, Flamenco, West African, and Afro Caribbean, musical theatre, and public speaking. She has performed with African American Repertory Theater, Claves Unidos, Fred Ho, Lula Washington Dance Theater (summer apprentice), Ujima Dance Theater, Chris Burnside, Latin Ballet of Virginia. Some of her dance instructors include West African with Faye Walker, Flamenco with Antonio Hlldalgo Paz, and Miguel Vargas, Ballet with Carol Crawford Smith, Orisha with Ife Michel and Rumba with Alberto Limonta Perez. She is proud to be represented by Studio 4 Dance Agency as a performing artist. In addition to performing with Leah Glen Dance Theatre, and Conflux Dance Company