Tommy the Clown

Tommy the Clown
Tommy the Clown
Born	Thomas Johnson; January 9, 1969 (age 55); Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Occupation	Dancer
Years active	1992 - present

Thomas Johnson, also known as Tommy the Clown, is an American dancer best known as the inventor of the "clowning" style of dance, which evolved into krumping. Johnson invented the style in 1992 to enhance birthday party clown acts, thereby creating the concept of "hip-hop clowns". Johnson and his followers have performed at birthday parties ranging from inner city communities to celebrities like Madonna, Pamela Anderson, and Cedric the Entertainer.^[1] He achieved international acclaim as the focus of David LaChapelle's 2005 documentary Rize. Tommy the Clown also danced with Ray Ray, of Mindless Behavior fame.

Biography

Thomas Johnson was born in Detroit, Michigan, and was raised in South Central Los Angeles, California. Growing up, he was often in and out of trouble.^[vague] After Johnson spent five years in jail, he realized that his lifestyle needed a significant change. He acquired a job as a typist clerk until 1992 when he received his first opportunity to perform; a co-worker asked him to be a clown at her child's birthday celebration because of his entertaining personality. He accepted the job, thus creating his Tommy the Clown persona. After this event, Tommy the Clown led the way in the stirring dance movement called "Clowning".^[2]^[3]^[4] He also developed this form of dance in response to the 1992 Rodney King riots.^[5]

Tommy's performances incorporated the current music and dancing of the time, and he encouraged the children to get up and dance with him. He soon developed loyal followers throughout Los Angeles. He used this opportunity to give children the chance to take an interest in dancing rather than drugs or gang activity and established a dance crew called the Hip Hop Clowns who performed with him at parties. His only rules for his crew were as follows: "No gangs, No drugs, Do well in school (grades, attendance, and behavior), and be a role model by living a positive lifestyle at all times."^[6]

By 2000, there were over 60 clown crews in Los Angeles. To avoid clashing with these different groups, Tommy took it upon himself to hold weekly dance battles at his former Tommy the Clown Academy, where an audience judged who was best. The popularity of these contests flourished, and Tommy created and hosted the Battle Zone event—an official dance battle featuring community dancers and celebrity guests. Tommy's dance phenomenon caught the attention of the acclaimed director and photographer, David LaChapelle. Feeling inclined to capture this movement on film, LaChapelle directed the 2005 Lions Gate Films documentary Rize.^[7]

In 2024, Tommy was featured in Kendrick Lamar's The Pop Out: Ken & Friends and his "Not Like Us" music video, which was directed by Dave Free and Lamar.^[8]^[9]

References

^ "Tommy the Clown". Archived from the original on 2011-05-14. Retrieved 2010-07-01.
^ Geiger, Marjorie (2007-06-25). "Defining Humor and Its Resources on the Web". Journal of Hospital Librarianship. 7 (2): 111–119. doi:10.1300/J186v07n02_11. ISSN 1532-3269.
^ Bell, Shamell; Grimes, d. Sabela (2022-10-25). "Street Dance Activism & Black Liberation". Conversations Across the Field of Dance Studies. 41 (0). doi:10.3998/conversations.2354. ISSN 2834-6823.
^ Konukman, Ferman; Erwin, Heather Elizabeth; Beighle, Aaron; Docheff, Dennis (2010). "Get Kids Moving in the Classroom". Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance. 81 (9): 15–17. doi:10.1080/07303084.2010.10598539. ISSN 0730-3084.
^ Borelli, Melissa Blanco, ed. (2014-10-02). "The Oxford Handbook of Dance and the Popular Screen". Oxford Handbooks Online. doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199897827.001.0001.
^ "Tommy the Clown". Archived from the original on 2011-05-14. Retrieved 2010-07-01.
^ Lawrence, Novotny, ed. (2015). Documenting the black experience: essays on African American history, culture and identity in nonfiction films. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7864-7267-3.
^ Guglielmi, Jodi (2024-07-05). "Kendrick Lamar's Victory Lap Continues With 'Not Like Us' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
^ Tharpe, Frazier (2024-07-04). "Watch Kendrick Lamar Put On for His City—And Tame an Owl—in the Video for 'Not Like Us'". GQ. Retrieved 2024-09-18.