Biography
Currently Darryl Thomas is Professor of Dance at Western Oregon University where he teaches composition, West African dance, his ever popular non-traditional partnering and other dance-related courses. Mr. Thomas has performed and choreographed in Bermuda, England, Denmark, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico and throughout the United States including Hawaii and Alaska. In 1993 he received the Hawaii State Dance Council Award for choreography
Darryl Thomas is also co-artistic director and choreographer for Rainbow Dance Theatre, whose exciting blend of virtuosic multi-cultural dance, computer animation, and aerial dance has delighted audiences around the world. Founded in 1991 in Honolulu, Hawaii, Rainbow Dance Theatre blends West African Dance, Haitian Dance, Hip Hop and American Modern Dance into a high-powered “pull-out-the-stops celebration of drumming and dancing,” (Sheryl Dare, Honolulu Advertiser).
A former dancer and artistic collaborator in the world-renowned Pilobolus Dance theatre, Thomas received an Emmy award for his performance on the PBS televised special for the 25th Anniversary of the John F. Kennedy Center. His most recent international choreographic commissions include Pusan Modern Dance Company, Pusan, Korea and NEMIAN Contemporary Dance Company, Mexico City, Mexico D.F.
Thomas’ teaching credits include visiting professor at the University of Florida, the Centro Nacional de las Artes of Mexico City, D.F., Studio Dance Tanz of Osaka, Japan, and the Pusan National University, Pusan, Korea.
He received his Masters of Fine Arts in performance and choreography from the University of Hawaii.