Fort Wayne Taiko, a program of Fort Wayne Dance Collective is pleased to present the fifth annual Knock on Wood performance on Saturday, November 12, 2011 at 7 p.m. The performance will be held at the Allen County Public Library’s Auditorium, located at 900 Library Plaza in downtown Fort Wayne.

Knock on Wood will feature a thunderous performance performed by a passionate, diverse group of local talent. The collection of songs will include traditional and contemporary taiko drumming pieces as well as original compositions featuring chants, body percussion, language and dance. Don’t miss this teeth rattling, one-of-a-kind performance!

Call (260) 424-6574 or email info@fwdc.org for more information or to purchase tickets.

The On Ensemble. Photo by Ayumi Kameda

Fort Wayne Taiko and the Fort Wayne Dance Collective are keeping the beat alive with a workshop with the On Ensemble, an LA-based  taiko performance and teaching group, Wednesday, January 5.

On Ensemble, (pronounced “Ohn”) takes the ancient instruments of taiko into new realms. Infusing the powerful rhythms of ensemble Japanese drumming with elements of hip-hop, rock and electronica, On Ensemble’s unique sound has been praised as “completely original and brilliantly conceived.” Modern Drummer magazine calls On Ensemble “an exciting taiko ensemble looking at new ways to apply traditional Japanese drums.”

Masato Baba, who was in Fort Wayne in April with TAIKOPROJECT, will be returning with On Ensemble, along with Kristofer Bergstrom, Shoji Kameda and Kelvin Underwood.

From 10 AM to 12:30 PM, particiants will explore basic slant drum form and technique with On Ensemble’s detailed exploration of the basic strike.

The afternoon workshop, from 1:30-4, will explore Bon Taiko, or Matsuri Daiko, which is one of the most fun and exciting forms of Japanese drumming. Bon Taiko Bonanza teaches an engaging solo structure including oroshi, kakegoe and the innovative “glitch ji” that can be looped repeatedly for multiple soloists.

Each workshop is $50, or participants can attend both for $90, saving 10%.

Call (260) 424-6574, or email info@fwdc.org for more information or to register today! Space is limited, so register soon!

The Fort Wayne Dance Collective (FWDC) is pleased to present Fort Wayne Taiko’s fourth annual Knock on Wood performance on Saturday, November 20, 2010 at 7 p.m. The performance will be held at the Allen County Pubic Library’s theatre, located at the main library at 900 Library Plaza in downtown Fort Wayne.

Knock on Wood will feature a playful collage of sound and images performed by a diverse group of local talent. The collection of songs will include traditional and contemporary taiko drumming pieces as well as original compositions featuring chants, body percussion, language and dance.

Pre-sale tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students 12 and under. At the door, adult tickets are $15 and children tickets are $12. Call the Fort Wayne Dance Collective at 424-6574 for tickets or information.

Taiko, which means “big drum,” is a drumming and movement form based on Japanese tradition. Taiko is played on big drums, skinned both ends and placed in vertical, horizontal and diagonal positions. In taiko, the movement is as important as the rhythm–drummers play rhythms with sticks using choreographed arm movements and/or while ”dancing” from drum to drum.

Fort Wayne Taiko, the only performing taiko group in Indiana, has provided Northeast/Central Indiana with taiko performances and instruction since 2000. Fort Wayne Taiko members have studied with Japanese taiko masters in California and have brought guest taiko drummers to Fort Wayne to teach skills and repertory to local drummers. A program of the Fort Wayne Dance Collective, Fort Wayne Taiko honors the tradition of taiko as it equally strives to integrate taiko with other art forms to create experimental performance art. Weekly taiko classes are offered at the Fort Wayne Dance Collective. Children’s classes, outreach programs and performances are available upon request. For more info, go to their website, FWTaiko.org. To see several photos from recent FW Taiko shows, including Knock on Wood 2008, see below.

Fort Wayne Taiko is a program of the Fort Wayne Dance Collective, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. FWDC receives funding from Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne, the Indiana Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Partial funding for this event provided by the Downtown Improvement District.

Our very own Fort Wayne Taiko drummers will perform. FWDC choreographer and teacher Becca Wegner created a dance performed by the talented Gloria Minnich and Tasha Sperry.  Several other performances are happening including our friends at the Three Rivers Jenbé Ensemble, Fort Wayne Youtheatre, and many more. It’s a great opportunity to eat good food, experience good art, and hang out in our vibrant downtown arts corridor.

Check out the arts schedule at the Taste of the Arts website, and join us at 1:00 for Taiko and dancing!

From Liz Monnier, our Artistic Director:

Wow, what a weekend! It’s amazing the energy that our guest performers bring. My favorite moment was watching Maz perform their final number at the Cherry Blossom Festival.  I wanted to internalize the sensation of what he was doing…so intense, his whole body flowing with the rhythms and the look on his face, totally immersed in the moment.  I also think it’ s funny how many people I’ve seen air drumming!

From Mary Marino-Strong, a FWDC volunteer and patron:

Saturday’s TAIKOPROJECT performance was unforgettable! It was so fabulous. I had no idea that a few people playing some drums would be as great – nor did I understand that the drummers bodies are as much a part of the music as the drums themselves. It’s a joy to watch a performer who has reached a level of real mastery in his art, and their leader seems to have done that big time! I also enjoyed seeing them at the Cherry Blossom Festival. So enthused were we that we participated with FW Taiko at the Festival as well. Its leader, Allison Ballard, did a great job of creating a format that allowed even musically-impaired audience members like moi to play along. Great fun!

From Rob Mican, a taiko drummer from Chicago who came to see the performance:

My family & I drove down from Chicago specifically for this TAIKOPROJECT  performance. I’ve had my eye on TAIKOPROJECT for the last year or two, hoping they would eventually come to the Chicago area. This is the first chance I’ve had to see them live. “Awesome” does not come close to describing how awesome they were. My son & I have been playing taiko for five or six years now, and TAIKOPROJECT’s energy and passion for taiko are amazingly infectious. They love what they do, they have loads of fun on stage, and it shows. The way TAIKOPROJECT puts a modern spin on a traditional musical art is downright enlightening — I’ve never seen any other taiko group do what they do with their impeccable musical skills. Our new taiko semester has just started, and my son & I can’t wait to start pounding on the drums again.

From Allison Ballard, FWDC teacher and Director of Fort Wayne Taiko:

TAIKOPROJECT’s performance(s) this weekend was yet another life-changing event sponsored by FWDC! Thank you, thank you, thank you! This community is so fortunate to be blessed by FWDC’s progressive programs. A common quote in the taiko community is that taiko is not meant to awe, but to inspire….I am inspired and humbled and excited to grow as a taiko drummer. Towards that aim, FW Taiko has two drummers attending the Memorial Day Weekend Intensive with San Jose Taiko in San Jose, California and I will be attending the Portland Taiko’s week-long intensive this August in Portland, Oregon. As always, we look forward to bringing new skills back to the FW Community. I must say that playing at the Cherry Blossom Festival with Taiko Project in the audience was one of the more challenging and humbling things I have done in a while….good grief. But I am so grateful to have the chance to grow as a taiko drummer right here in Fort Wayne. FW Taiko welcomes people interested in exploring the art form to join taiko classes held at FWDC every Friday, 3:30 to 5:30. Come check it out! And remember taiko is a drumming and movement form–the movement is as important as the rhythm being played. Come prepared for a full body aerobic workout! And a load of exhilarating fun!

We also got a lot of media attention for the residency as well. Some links to see our press coverage:

• Dumming Japanese tradition by Steve Penhollow at the Journal Gazette
• Dance, drumming mix in ancient art form from the News-Sentinel
• A video at the News-Sentinel’s website at the Cherry Blossom Festival
• Drumming Up a Storm by Michael Summers in the Fort Wayne Reader

LA Weekly said of TAIKOPROJECT, “This ain’t your mama’s taiko, but it may be your hip, younger cousin’s”, and they couldn’t be more right. This company seamlessly blends fast- paced, exciting taiko with storytelling, music, hip-hop choreography, multimedia and dance.

In 2005, TAIKOPROJECT travelled to Japan to represent American taiko at the Tokyo International Taiko Contest. They took home the top prize, becoming the first foreign taiko group to win the contest. Earlier that year, they were featured in Mitsubishi Motor’s national ad campaign, featuring women in their group.

This 8-member company is in Fort Wayne for a three-day residency that includes educational lecture/demonstrations with schoolchildren, workshops for local taiko drummers and taiko enthusiasts, and will even be doing a demonstration during the Cherry Blossom Festival, happening downtown on April 18!

Reserved tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for children 12 and under. At the door, tickets are $30. They can be purchased by calling the Arts United Center box office at (260) 422-4226.