Jamilah Lucas

Lovely, slender and dynamic African-American dancer Jamilah Lucas was born on September 19 in Alameda, California and grew up in the Bay area. Jamilah started dancing at age four when she tried to mimic the dancers on her home television screen. She cites Josephine Baker as a major inspiration. Lucas studied tap, ballet and acrobatic dance. Moreover, she performed with companies in the California region. Following graduation from San Francisco State University, Jamilah joined a San Francisco company for stage productions of "Don't Bother Me I Can't Cope" and "Evolution of the Blues." In addition, Lucas appeared in Los Angeles stage productions of "The Wiz" and "Pal Joey." She also popped up in numerous TV specials which include the 1986 Miss Teen USA beauty pageant. Jamilah first joined the cast of the immensely popular music variety TV series "Solid Gold" as a regular featured dancer in 1983 and remained on the show until the end of its final season in 1988. In the wake of her "Solid Gold" stint Lucas continued to work as a model and dancer. She has an uncredited bit part in the big budget comedy film "Scrooged." In 1990 Jamilah appeared as a dancer in the stage show "Out There Tonight" with Shirley MacLaine.