Ryan Rankine

Ryan Rankine is a contemporary dancer. His father is Jamel Gaines, founder and artistic director of Creative Outlet Dance Theatre of Brooklyn. Even though he dropped out of LaGuardia High School of Art, Music and the Performing Arts to compete in season 2 of "So You Think You Can Dance," he graduated, with the help of Timothy Bishop and his father. Ryan began dancing at the age of eight years. He's trained at the Dance Theatre of Harlem, The Ailey School, San Francisco Ballet, Miami City Ballet, The Julliard School, and SUNY Purchase College. He has also trained and performed with the Creative Outlet Dance Theatre of Brooklyn. He has performed with Complexion Contemporary Ballet, Forces of Nature. He performed in The Wiz (City Center New York), Radio City Christmas Spectacular '08, and VH1 Divas 2009. In 2005, he performed for the Inside/Out Series at Jacob's Pillow in Massachusetts. In 2006, he competed on "So You Think You Can Dance" in season 2. He was a top 7 finalist. In 2007, he performed a solo in "Remembering..." by the Creative Outlet Dance Theater of Brooklyn, which was choreographed by Jamel Gaines. He performed at the National Dance Week-NYC 2008 Performance Showcase.