Upcoming Performances and Workshops

PCOMING PERFORMANCES

On September 19th and 20th, the first of three scheduled performance
series of "Kodama Junrei" will take place at the Iida Ningyo Gekijyo
Theater. "Kodama Junrei" is a collaboration concert between three
Tokyo International Wadaiko Contest Champions: Art Lee, Ryo Shiobara
and Takumi Kato. Details to be released soon on the TOKARA website.

On October 3rd, Art Lee and Shakuhachi/Koto Ensemble Rivelta will
perform their joint concert "Tengei" as part of the Tsurumai Park
100th Anniversary in Nagoya City.
Art and Rivelta regularily perform together around Japan, and "Tengei"
has just finished it's third series to tumultuous applause at the Art
Hall Theater in Kanazawa City on July 23rd.

Tokara is off from touring for a couple of months, and will return to
touring "Sva (Vital Force) with Ragamala Dance in Alaska during the
latter half of October. "Sva (Vital Force)" has been doing extremely
well in touring for the past three years with highlights including a
two-week run at Off-Broadway 42nd Street Theater and two weeks at the
Edinburgh Fringe Festival. "Sva (Vital Force)" will also be touring
in winter and spring of 2010. Check often at Tokara's website for
updated information.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

**TOKARA Wadaiko Bootcamp**
Intermediate/Advanced Course "C"
There are currently three available spaces left.
Dates: August 27th - 30th (Two days workshop and
Tokyo International Wadaiko Contest).
Details on the course:
http://www.tokara.net/taikocamp.html

**Art Lee Workshops in Minneapolis, U.S.**
Wadaiko Artist Art Lee will introduce two of his most popular
workshops in the U.S. for the first time in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
'Hip-Up Taiko' is an aerobic-style taiko class with simple and fun
rhythms and lots of body movement. Also 'Taiko Stairmaster', the
ultimate taiko excercise to make both left and right hands equal.
These workshops have been taught all over Japan to many groups as well
as being big hits during Art's intensive taiko courses taught in
English in Japan; including the INADANI Taiko Drumming Course and
TOKARA Wadaiko Bootcamp.

1. Hip-Up Taiko (any level taiko experience)
October 8th from 6:30p.m. - 9p.m.
$45 (includes bachi) - Payable at beginning of class
Limit - 8 participants

2. Taiko Stairmaster (at least one year recommended)
October 9th from 6:30p.m. - 9p.m.
$45 (includes bachi) - Payable at beginning of class
Limit - 8 participants

3. Weekend Intensive (any level taiko experience)
October 10th from 3p.m. - 8p.m. and
October 11th from 10a.m. - 1p.m.
$110 (includes bachi) - Payable at beginning of class
Limit - 8 participants

SPECIAL NEWS BULLETIN FOR 2010

***Every three years, the INADANI Taiko Drumming Course in Japan
mutates from it's usual one week length to an intensely joyous two
week course. The year 2010 brings this two week special INADANI Taiko
Drumming Course which is called the "GRAND TOUR".
Participants study taiko in the heart of Japan for two weeks, with
special visits to some of the best taiko professionals in the world.
Participants to the 2007 GRAND TOUR visited the late Grandmaster
Daihachi Oguchi, Akemi Jige - leader of the world famous Hono-O-Daiko,
and Shidara - one of the premiere taiko groups in Japan.
Registration is now open. Only 15 spaces per week are available, so
book early to join this event that happens only once every three years.
Details at: http://www.wadaikoworld.net/japantaikocourse.html

***Along with the new workshops titled "Hip-up Taiko" (aerobic-style
taiko workshops), "Movement" (calm, slow yet dynamic movements based
upon building strong taiko form), and the ever-popular "Taiko
Stairmaster" (seven levels of taiko patterns designed to build equal
strength and dexterity in both hands), Art Lee and TOKARA will begin
steadily touring our new concert production "Tenchi Shinmei" from
February 2010. "Tenchi Shinmei" is Art Lee's new work inspired by
the late Grandmaster Daihachi Oguchi. Calling upon the purest of
Shinto beliefs that within all things in the universe, both animate
and inanimate, reside the gods of heaven and earth.
More details available soon on the "on offer" page of TOKARA's website.

***It Is Confirmed - Tokara will be performing for the first two weeks
of the 2010 Edinburgh Festival of Spirituality and Peace, during the
2010 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. We are looking forward to these two
weeks of performances at St. John's Church in the heart of Edinburgh.
This is set to be one of the highlights of what is quickly turning
into a two month full tour from July to August 2010.
In addition to the festival, Tokara is currently on the way to produce
five concerts throughout the U.K. and Europe, as well as a weeklong
intensive workshop in Dublin, Ireland.
Workshops in Germany and Scotland are also in the works.

Performances in U.K.

On July 2nd, we went to Camphill Devon, a Steiner community in
Buckfastleigh (Hapstead) where Yukari lived and worked for one year in
1997. It was her request that if we could have a Europe Tour anytime
in the near future, that we could go to Camphill and give a
demonstration. Of course, Tokara was happy to oblige, and we
performed a 30 minute set in a small bungalow in the garden outside of
Galahad House with many of the residents and neighbors dancing
outside. It was a lot of fun for them and us as well.
The next day, we performed at the 5th U.K. Taiko Festival in Exeter,
Devon. This performance actually wasn't part of our original Europe
Tour program, but not only did I wish to give a hearty 'Hisashiburi'
(long time no see) to the lads and lasses at Kagemusha Taiko, my
biggest hope was to clear up and rewrite with high spirits, a chapter
that had gone drastically wrong five to six years ago, and did not
seem to be clearing up by itself as time passed. Unfortunately, that
chapter was unable to be rewritten and has not been erased with the
passage of time, but the performance at the festival was a great
success for everyone involved. Four groups performed at the main show
of the festival: Issho, Kagemusha Taiko, Tokara and Taiko Meantime. I
was happy to finally see Taiko Meantime's performance after having met
Mark Alcock five years ago when I went to tour the U.K. as a member of
Daihachi Oguchi's Ashura-gumi group. Taiko Meantime had a nice
mixture of songs and a fun performance style. I look forward to
seeing them again.

U.K. and Ireland 2009 Tour

We arrived in the U.K. on the first of July. I've been looking
forward to coming to the U.K. and Ireland for a while. This is our
fourth international tour this year, the first and second being in the
U.S. and the third being in India. India was extremely hot while we
were there, and Japan has been getting steadily warmer each day. So I
very much looked forward to coming here to enjoy the climate that
rarely goes any warmer than 32C. And Ireland is just the best
climate. I don't think I've experienced any day warmer than 28C
here...ah, so happy with the weather here. In addition to that, the
architecture, the landscape and the overall natural environment is so
bright and uplifting even on a rainy day. The English often fret
about the rainy weather here, and if I lived here, I might as well.
But as a visitor...even for many months, I welcome the rain and cloudy
sky.