TAIKOPROJECT took the stage at the Luhrs Performing Arts Center on Mar. 5, combining live music and dance.

The group was founded in Los Angeles in 2000 by Bryan Yamami and Masato Baba with the goal of creating an American style of taiko. Taiko is a traditional Japanese drumming art form that combines music and dance to create a distinct cultural performance.

The show featured 12 performers, who rotated playing various instruments throughout the different songs of the night. While large drums were crucial to the performance, the performers also played bass, cymbals, flutes and various other percussion instruments to create a sound that evolved throughout the night with each different song.

TAIKOPROJECT performed 12 different compositions during the program, starting with “New Beginnings.” The other pieces performed in the first half were “Expanding,” “Bird Island,” “Shepard,” “Totality” and “Many Sides,” which was followed by an intermission.

Throughout the different compositions, drums would be moved around the stage with different instruments to create complex set pieces for the performers to dance between. This element of the set design sets the act apart, allowing for a perfect blend of dance and musical performance.

Movement and dance helped to differentiate the slower, more melodic compositions with vocals from the compositions and louder, faster drum rhythms. These faster compositions would have performers playing large drums and shifting around the stage to play other instruments, all while keeping tempo with the other performers.

After an intermission, the performance continued with “Like Fire,” “Suisei” and “Methow Star.” The second half of the show was where performers had moments where they would have individual solos on various instruments before finishing the composition together as a group.

Transitions between each piece of music were smooth. One performer would play soft percussion pieces or small drums while the rest of the performers transformed the set for the next composition.

Audience members who expected only drumming were pleasantly surprised by not only the variety of instruments on display, but also the vocal talent. The vocals added another dimension to the music and allowed the group to diversify their sound by playing compositions with a slower rhythm to match the vocal performance.

The costumes, designed by Sueko Oshimoto, were another highlight of the performance. Performers wore garments inspired by traditional Japanese clothing. Some outfits were muted in the background, while lots of performers wore bright costumes that stood out when combined with the dance and rhythm aspect of the show.

The final songs of the night were “Dear Us,” “The Drop” and “Here We Go Now!!,” following the finale, the audience applauded the loudest they had been throughout the performance. After the applause, when audience members bowed to thank the crowd, and the audience responded with a standing ovation to close out the night.

Luhrs Performing Arts Center was just one of the stops on TAIKOPROJECT’s list of tour destinations this year. For more information, visit taikoproject.org.

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