Tomas Tamayo (he/him/his)

Tomas Tamayo is a choreographer, dancer, director, visual artist, vocalist and educator in the dance, music and theatre arts. Tamayo choreographs and performs in concert modern dance, Balinese and Javanese dance drama, Philippine folk dance, film, musical theater, television and video. Tomas directs professional and student ensembles of dancers, actors and musicians in collaborative art-making and performance.

Tomas studied dance in San Diego with Johanna Weikel at Southwestern College and, after participating in Anna Halprins’ Circle the Earth workshop (UCSD), continued his dance education at CalArts in Los Angeles. An Ahmanson and Irvine Foundation Scholar, Tomas received both his BFA and MFA degrees from the School of Dance at CalArts. Tomas also studied at Harvard University (dance history with Dr. Iris Fanger), Santa Reparata Graphic Art Center (printmaking/art history with Michael Schnoor and Giuseppe Gattuso) in Florence, Italy, and the London Contemporary Dance School (dance anthropology with Dr. Andree Grau).

Tamayo was a company member in TRIP Dance Theater. TRIP performances included shows at the Joyce Soho, Ford Ampitheatre and the Unknown Theater in Hollywood. Tomas danced with Silayan Dance Co., CalArts Dance Ensemble, CalArts Javanese Gamelan Ensemble, CalArts Balinese Gamelan Ensemble, Ruth Barnes, Liz Burritt, Dulce Capadocia, Ann Carlson, Joe Goode, Jacques Heim, Hiroko Hojo, Cristyne Lawson, Liz Maxwell, Doug Nielsen, Lisa Townsend, Kurt Weinheimer, Nanik Wenten, I. Nyoman Wenten, Tina Yuan and Robin Zeimer. Tamayo choreographed and performed Omb for the Sharon Disney Lund Theater, CalArts, and at the Barnsdall Art Park. Tamayo’s solo Toxic Agenda premiered in REDCAT at the Disney Music Hall. Internationally, Tamayo has choreographed and performed at The Place in London, at the IC Dance Festival at Gadjah Mada University in Jogyakarta, Indonesia, and in the Pawil Dagupan Festival in Pangasinan, Philippines.

Tamayo has choreographed and performed in popular music and dance videos and in both animated and live-action film. He has worked as a dancer and assistant choreographer to MaryAnn Kellogg for NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (recurring Dancing Itos). As a musical theater performer, Tomas toured as the Lion in the National Tour of the National Theatre for Children’s production of The Wizard of Oz. Tomas was recognized with an ensemble acting award from the American College Theater Festival for his performance in Southwestern College's Production of HAIR—The American Tribal Love Rock Musical.

As a singer, Tamayo has performed with Lea Salonga (Aladdin duet), the CalArts Salsa Band, Spartan Singers—Mira Costa College Vocal Jazz Ensemble and Kyai Kumbal—CalArts Javanese Gamelan Ensemble. Tamayo narrated and sang (gerong) in Jaya Manggala Gita, performing the work with Javanese composer KRT Wasitodinigrat. Tamayo is a featured vocalist on the Capitol Records 1995 CalArts Jazz CD and on the MGM Studios soundtrack from the film Wild Bill.

Tamayo danced with many notable musicians such as: John Bergamo, The Eroica Trio, James Newton, Carson-Dominguez Symphony, The CalArts Millennium Players and Bali and Beyond. Tamayo has been commissioned to choreograph and perform with musicians and composers such as: Leo Wadada Smith, John Bergamo, I. Nyoman Wenten, Susan Allen, Fawntice McCain, Vicky Ray, Barry Shrader and the Carson- Dominguez Symphony.

Tamayo earned an Artist-in-Residence grant from the California Arts Council for his work in dance at Plaza de la Raza in East Los Angeles. Tamayo has shown his photography and printmaking work in juried art shows and has collaborated in performance and installation work with BAWTAF, Border Arts Workshop in San Diego/Tijuana. Tomas has served on many arts council panels and grant funding organizations in the greater southern California area. Tomas has served on the CalArts Alumni Association Executive Board.

Tamayo has been on the dance faculty at Southwestern College, CalArts (Community Arts Partnership), CSU Fresno (CSU Summer Arts Program) and Cypress College. He has been on the theatre faculty (Mask and Physical Theatre) for the La Jolla Playhouse Young Performer’s Conservatory. Tamayo was a full-time lecturer in dance and an assistant professor in dance at CSU Dominguez Hills. He was an associate professor in dance at Eastern New Mexico University. Currently, Tamayo is a lecturer of dance and cultural studies for the Department of Dance in the College of Performing Arts at Chapman University.