Jonathan Clarke Sypert (He/Him)

MFA in Dance Choreography 

Jonathan is an accomplished actor, dancer, singer, spoken word poet, teacher, choreographer, and hip-hop artist (aka iNTREPiD). Jonathan is a lecturer at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, where he teaches Intermediate and Advanced Hip Hop for the Dance Department and Drama Education for the Theatre Department. Being raised in a performing arts household gave him an early education in musical theatre, jazz, contemporary, and modern dance forms, while also gaining skills in public speaking and music. Jonathan received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre with a concentration in Theatre for Young Audiences, and served as an educator in public and private schools for nearly 20 years while also accumulating diverse credits in the Honolulu performing arts communities.

Jonathan Clarke Sypert, “a smiling, encouraging dance teacher who makes even the most reticent students feel like they can fly” (Lee Cataluna, Star-Advertiser), has served as choreographer for and has been in productions with the Hawaii Shakespeare Festival, Kumu Kahua Theatre, Chaminade Theater, HI Frequency Dance Squad, Vocal and Dance Expressions, and tours of Why?, and for legendary Hawaiian artist Henry Kapono. He has danced for Iona Dance Company, Tau Dance Theater, and Waikiki Neī; and has appeared with Manoa Valley Theatre, Diamond Head Theatre, Army Community Theatre, and Hawaii Opera Theatre. Highlights of his stage productions include Paul in Six Degrees of Separation, the title character in MacBeth, Hector in Troilus and Cressida, and Cole in The Underneath. His on-screen credits include appearances in Hawaii Five-O, Street Wars, and Lost. Jonathan is a member of Honolulu poetry collective the HI Poets Society, and once spent a delightful year as a puppeteer for Disney World. 

Jonathan proudly spent several years working for Honolulu Theatre for Youth as a company actor and teaching artist, helping to usher the next generation into a world of creativity and artistic exploration. Above all else, Jonathan enjoys passing along the joys of being a lifelong learner. As a lifelong learner himself, he is currently pursuing his MFA in Dance with an emphasis in Choreography from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

PaR Presentation/Paper

“Beige: Mixing and Remixing Story Dance in Concept and Execution” - A Performance as Research presentation examining the creation of a world premiere piece of choreography that embodies the intersections of Ballet’s storytelling elements, multidisciplinary collaborations, community building, and artistic growth through a Hawaiʻi-based Black Diasporic lens.

Dance Lecture Demo

“My Body, Got Some Stories” - A workshop that invites participants to engage with their past, present, and future through movement and emotions. Let’s share and receive some stories y’all! No formal dance experience is necessary.