• Home
  • Bio
  • Blog
  • Videos
    • First Thursdays
    • First Fridays
    • International Hawaii Chinese Cultural Arts Festival
    • Spocom
  • Press Kit
    • KS EdTech
    • TEDx Talks
    • Hi*Sessions
    • ReThink Speaker Series
  • Contact
  • Community
    • Word of Life
    • Hawaii Children And Youth Day
    • Ala Moana Centerstage
    • Life 360 Network

Jason Tom (譚志豪)

  • Home
  • Bio
  • Blog
  • Videos
    • First Thursdays
    • First Fridays
    • International Hawaii Chinese Cultural Arts Festival
    • Spocom
  • Press Kit
    • KS EdTech
    • TEDx Talks
    • Hi*Sessions
    • ReThink Speaker Series
  • Contact
  • Community
    • Word of Life
    • Hawaii Children And Youth Day
    • Ala Moana Centerstage
    • Life 360 Network

Viewing: PBS Hawaii - View all posts

Will You Take This Dance? 

Let's take this dance, get down, and gobble!



During my birthday week and this Thanksgiving season, I took on the #PBSHawaiiNeighbor Challenge with the help of my friend who recorded and uploaded my version of Mr. Rogers' "Won't You Be My Neighbor" to support PBS Hawaii. I was joined by two turkey bird co-stars and dance partners at Waimanalo Country Farms' Sunflower field. We had a ball.

I want to thank my family, friends, neighbors, and our community for supporting PBS Hawaii. Click here to check out the #PBSHawaiiNeighbor playlist.

To learn more about the #PBSHawaiiNeighbor Challenge and how to donate to PBS Hawaii visit: PBSHawaii.org/neighbor 

Speaking of dance, to close off 2020 with a post birthday gift, I began taking private funk dance lessons by dance teacher Headache of Hype, one of the finalists of America's Got Talent.

It's my first time learning the foundation of "boogaloo" and "popping," a funk dance style that originated in the 1970s. Even with 16 years of live performance experience under my belt, this will be a challenge for me. I am one of the most uncoordinated when it comes to learn how to dance, but I am willing to go there. Be vulnerable and get out of my comfort zone. There are so many layers to popping and I would like to build on my dance vocabulary. It's going to be a humbling season.

For the most part, as an untrained dancer, I watched film of Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, and Michael Jackson. Poppers I've been inspired by are Skill Roy, Funky T, Headache, Boogaloo Sam, Popin Pete, Popin EQ, Popin Sushi, Michael "Boogaloo Shrimp" Chambers, Jeffrey Daniels, Bionic Man, Slim Boogie, Jabbawockeez, Surf Boogie, Biomechanix, Ace, Pharside, Ian Navasca, Silk, Hoan, Rodney Phung, Illosophy, J Boog, Jabez, Fu Manchu, D King, and the list goes on.

Below are photos from my performances, rehearsals and photoshoots through the years that features me dancing...

Jason Tom Global Dance Cafe Performance.
 

Moonwalk Rehearsal at Global Dance Cafe.
 

Global Dance Cafe performance....

 


 


 


 

Joined by Belly Dancers at Puja Dance Production.

 

An opener to my Puja Dance Production performance.
 

Joined by Anasma at Puja Dance Production...
 

An angular circle glide at Puja Dance Production.
 

Williamsburg Bridge of Manhattan, New York.
 

Side gliding in Manhattan, New York.
 

Live toe stand on the Music With A Message Tour at McKinley High School.
 

Side gliding in San Francisco.
 

 
Moonwalk rehearsal prior to Global Dance Cafe.

 

 
Rocking a company party!

 

James Brown funky footwork at Moon Festival

12/04/2020

  • 14 comments
  • Share

in Jason Tom, Dance, PBSHawaiiNeighbor, PBS Hawaii

Join our mailing list for the latest news

“It's not every guy who gets mistaken for a boombox. Jason Tom, one of Hawaiʻi's most visible beatboxers, is a walking, talking instrument; an energetic combination of drums, snare, vocals and synthesizer, all replicated using his voice.”

— Tracy Chan, Metromix Cover Story

Contact Jason Tom

“Imagine standing on a stage in front of hundreds or thousands of fans. Cameras of every type are focused on you as bright stage lights blind you. Now imagine that you are also wheezing and coughing and short of breath. Such is the case with today's entertainers living with asthma, including Honolulu's Jason Tom.

Tom is a nationally known beatboxer and fashion designer who has asthma. His musical profession presents unique difficulties for someone with airflow issues. Like many vocalists, his only instrument is his mouth. A beatboxer is solely responsible for vocally producing all of the musical sounds (beat, melody, etc.) in a song, so they typically perform solo. They do not have the luxury of taking mid-song breaks to catch their breath. This literally puts Tom's life on the line at every performance.”

— Fernando Pacheco, HMSA's Island Scene Magazine Feature

© 1982-present   (譚志豪)