Singer | Actress | Dancer

Hi! I'm Rachel Zonia Castañeda, a singer/actress/dancer based in New Jersey/New York City. Born and raised in Northern New Jersey to an Italian mother and Peruvian father, performing has been an integral part of who I am for as long as I can remember.

 

Despite my outgoing personality I was very anxious as a child. Around age 8 I developed tics. My parents tried various methods to get them to go away, but nothing really seemed to work. I had been playing sports for years, however fourth grade was my first opportunity to be in a “musical." Every time I stepped onstage from then on my tics would disappear, and actively participating in theatre helped them completely go away. For this reason theatre means more to me than something I just love to do. I continued to pursue musical theatre throughout high school and college, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a BFA in Musical Theatre from Marymount Manhattan College.

 

My whole life I’ve had a strong desire to make everyone around me happy.  When not performing, you can most likely find me at a NY Mets game or instructing/taking a Zumba class. I am so excited to continue this crazy, amazing journey. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to get to put a smile on your face sometime in the near future! xoxo