Constantine “DC” Abramson is a master of all trades. From break dancing, to painting, to beat boxing, DC does it all…and well. Celebrity Parents spoke with DC about his role on Playhouse Disney’s Choo Choo Soul as the Engineer, his incredible childhood, and his love of all things art.
You have an amazing birth story. Let’s talk about it.
My biological parents gave me up for adoption at birth. My adoptive parents, whom I consider my real parents, had four biological children of their own, and they adopted four more children, the last one being me. My adopted father was an obstetrician, and he delivered me as well as all of my other brothers and sisters. I had a great upbringing with my parents, and have been given so many wonderful opportunities. From music always being on in the house to good schools, I had a great childhood.
That’s incredible. Did you get to meet your biological parents?
Yes, I’ve met them. When I met my biological father, he said that was the reason that they had given me up for adoption, so that I would have those opportunities. It’s funny because in my adopted family, I am the youngest, but in my biological family, I am the oldest. I was so used to being the baby in the family that I found that I didn’t know how to be “the big brother”. We’re all still in touch with each other. And my parents have been supportive of that; I think the world of my parents. That’s why I never had that “Why didn’t they want me?” feeling. I was taught that there are misfortunes in life, and at that time, my biological parents couldn’t provide for me.
On Choo Choo Soul, you are the Engineer, and you do some cool moves. Were you always into dance?
I’ve always loved it. After high school, I became a mascot, and I did that for eight years. First I was the mascot for the San Francisco 49ers, Sourdough Sam. It was so much fun. You get to run out with the team behind you, dance on the field, and amp up the crowd. It’s a lot of testosterone pumping! I was also the mascot for the basketball team, the Golden State Warriors. It was a superhero costume, so I was able to move better. I could do acrobatics and break dancing, which I love.
At six foot three, it seems like you should have gone into basketball.
No, I wasn’t such a great basketball player! [laughs] I was a better mascot for them than I would have been as a player. My only sports were swimming and water polo, which I competed in when I was in school. I loved swimming; I prided myself on being the fastest. I competed all throughout high school and then I got burnt out. I focused on break dancing and capoeira.
What is it about break-dancing that you love?
There’s something about the art form and the movements. It’s beautiful to watch. Like you said, I’m 6 foot 3 and 240 pounds. But once I start dancing, I can do any move. I have so much fun when I’m dancing or battling. And I’ve done it professionally, too. I did the dance moves for the Tiger Woods video game. Every time he makes a put, that’s me doing the moves! Up until then, I thought that was the coolest part of my career! I got to be a cartoon character, and for the greatest golfer of our generation! I also did the moves for Madden NFL 2007.
You’ve always been very physical.
I just can’t sit down. I went to art school because I really love to paint. Watercolors is my passion. I was also into animation, but you have to spend hours and hours rendering, and I didn’t want to spend my life in a cubicle. I’m just too active!
What did you think of the Choo Choo Soul project when you first heard about it?
It sounded really cool. I actually liked all the songs. Playhouse Disney picked it up, and they flew us out to NJ to make the music videos. At that time, I still didn’t think anything would come out of it. I thought it would be a great CD that could be passed out as curriculum to schools, like another way to learn the ABC’s. I was still a mascot, so I flew into NJ, shot the videos, and flew right back out. Without advertising, with just the music videos, Choo Choo Soul generated a lot of popularity. In 2007, Disney approached us to do a concert series at Disneyworld. That showed us that we had a fan base, and that people were enjoying the music. It was wonderful and overwhelming at the same time.
What would you attribute the success of Choo Choo Soul to?
It’s good music. It will not drive you crazy! [laughs] The lyrics are catchy, and the beats are infectious. The videos help to paint that overall picture. You can listen to it over and over. Parents will come up to us after a show and say, “We love it just as much as our kids!”
What is the future for Choo Choo Soul?
We really want it to become a real TV series. Parents ask us all the time when we’re going to get our own show. It could be educational, fun and physical as well, especially with all the dancing we do. It could become the Soul Train for kids!
What do you have going on personally?
I’m focusing a lot on my art work. I just finished painting a huge mural in a restaurant in Pacifica, CA called High Tides. It began with a logo and just exploded from there. There are many of my paintings in the restaurant, too. I want to showcase my art, and show the world that I don’t do fridge art! I can really paint! I’m going to paint murals in three other restaurants. I’m very curious to see what the world thinks about it.
I’m still doing personal training and beat boxing, too. When it’s all said and done, though, I want to be an art teacher. Kids have a great innocence; they’re just curious about everything. They want to learn and have fun and that transcends into who they will become. I want to be a part of that.