i am jas

Jas Kaiulani is a third-year Dance major at Sonoma State University. Her curiosity with dancing started when she was just a toddler, and she would watch her mother practice Hula with her Halau. Being from Hawaii, it was only natural for Jas to begin her journey in dancing here. After having spent just a few months of training, Jas entered her first Tahitian solo competition on the day of her 5th birthday. She went on to place second in the 5-8 yr old category, after advancing through two elimination rounds. This would be the beginning of her drive to compete, and her passion for dance. 

Over the years, Jas has added Ballet, Tap, Afro-Brazilian Samba and Afro-Cuban to her resume, along with her current focus in Hip-Hop and Contemporary/Modern Dance. She graduated from the Bay Area’s highly esteemed Asawa School of the Arts (SOTA), where she attended their World Music and Dance program. In addition to dance, she also has a background in drumming which she began studying when she was 9. She took this opportunity at SOTA to further her growth and interest in music - particularly the drums. Her training includes Chinese drumming, Taiko, Afro-Brazilian, in addition to West African, Afro-Cuban and Gamelan. She has performed in numerous festivals and events including 2017’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Music Festival, the Cisco Partner Summit, 'Unite Against Hate' SF City Hall, and the 2020 American College Dance Association West Informal Concert - just to name a few. In 2020, Jas decided to enter the Kāos solo competition on a whim, and proudly placed in the top 10.

Since entering Sonoma State University’s dance program, Jas has collaborated with her professors and mentors, Kristen Daley and Farrah McAdam in SSU’s Spring Dance concert, as well as created multiple works for the department’s Fall Dance concert. Having spent  most of her time in ‘lockdown’ during the COVID-19 pandemic, Jas has been able to expand her creative interests in production, choreography and as a teaching.