Erica “Rae” Smith is the founder and artistic director of Raediant Movement, LLC. A Philadelphia native, Erica holds a B.F.A. in Modern Dance from the University of the Arts and is currently pursuing her MFA in Dance at Montclair State University. She is a professionally certified Umfundalai instructor, dancer, choreographer, and educator whose artistic practice explores the cultural connections and movement traditions of the African Diaspora.

Erica founded Raediant Movement in 2011 as a traveling dance workshop initiative advocating for the inclusion and appreciation of Jamaican Dancehall and other dances of the African Diaspora within her community. Since then, Raediant Movement has evolved into a dance company dedicated to exploring, preserving, and celebrating cultural connections across the African Diaspora through performance, education, and community engagement.

Her extensive training includes Horton, Umfundalai (Contemporary African Dance), Ballet, Modern, Jazz, South African dance, and Jamaican Dancehall. Her choreography has been presented at venues and festivals including the Howard Theatre, DC Dance Summit, Clarice Performing Arts Center, A Place to Dance Festival, Platform Black Dance Festival, and NACHMO DC. In 2018, Erica was honored with the John F. Kennedy Center Local Dance Commission Project award. In 2025, she was selected as a Dance Canvas choreographer, presenting her work at the Rialto Theater in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2026, she was selected to present work at Atlas Performing Arts Center as part of the ICONS Choreographers’ Collective.

As an adjunct professor at Bowie State University and a teaching artist working across K–12, Erica is committed to developing dancers through culturally grounded instruction, artistic exploration, and mentorship. Her Professional Level Certification in Umfundalai, earned through the National Association of American African Dance Teachers (NAAADT) in 2026, further reflects her dedication to the preservation and advancement of African-centered movement practices.

Through her leadership, Erica continues to create opportunities for dancers and audiences to experience the richness of Black dance traditions, recognize their cultural significance, and discover meaningful connections through movement.