TOM TSAI is a Los Angeles-based dance artist, filmmaker, educator, and activist. His choreography employs physical rigor with self-inquiry, personal storytelling with political engagement, and combats erasure of identity.
Tom grew up during Taiwan’s democratic transition which followed 92 years of military occupation. He was immersed in the Taiwanese people’s struggle for global recognition, and in this environment, he became drawn to Hip Hop Culture and the dance form of Breakin’ (aka breakdancing). Tom related his Taiwanese background to Hip Hop dance practitioners who were undermined by reductive narratives in the media. This cultural parallel sparked his commitment towards identities who resist political erasure.
Tom’s Contemporary and Hip Hop dance solo works pay tribute to the extraordinary endurance and resilience that the politically marginalized exhibit on a daily basis. Situated between the distinct histories of Taiwan, American minorities, Hip Hop, and western concert dance, Tom aspires to represent his lineage with integrity. He embraces cultural collision to hone his artistic perspective and his political engagement. His creative process draws from his multicultural insight, his sensibilities towards mental health and social justice, his training in Breakin’ and Lewitzky Modern dance, and his personal writing.
Tom has been privileged to perform his solo dance works throughout the USA, and internationally in London, Mexico, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, and Singapore, at iconic venues that include Judson Church, Sadler’s Wells, Rotterdam Schouwburg, and Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. He has received support from the City of Pasadena Arts & Culture Commission, the Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant, Ghost Light Residency, and Dance Resource Center’s Homegrown Residency @ The Music Center. He is a 2-time winner at REVERBDance Festival, and a 2023 California Arts Council Established Individual Artist Fellow.
Tom is a member of Section 7, a collective of multi-disciplined B-boy artists originating from Taipei, Taiwan. He has danced with LA-based choreographers Suchi Branfman, Lindsey Red-tail, Victoria Marks, John Pennington, Christine Suarez, and Stephanie Zaletel. Tom has been adjunct dance faculty at Pomona College, Cal State Long Beach, Cal State Fullerton, Chapman University, and NYU Tisch School of the Arts. He has also been a guest artist at high schools across Southeast Asia.
As a core collaborator with Dancing Through Prison Walls (Artistic Director: Suchi Branfman), Tom fulfills choreographic, performance, and filmmaking roles to amplify the experiences and imaginations of those impacted by the carceral system. His film work with Dancing Through Prison Walls has received coverage in the Los Angeles Times, Dance Magazine, The Nation, and Autre Magazine. With a degree in Media Studies, Tom combines his dance insight with his video and film experience, and has collaborated on video projects with local choreographers, companies, and organizations including Diavolo | Architecture in Motion, Danza Floricanto, ARC Pasadena, Pennington Dance Group, J Chen Project, and Suchi Branfman.