Mark H Rooney Taiko

Taiko Instructor & Performer

Save the Date for this Awesome Workshop!

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Mark H Taiko is thrilled to announce an upcoming workshop with PJ and Roy Hirabayashi!

PJ and Roy are the founders of San Jose Taiko and leaders in the North American taiko community. They are also winners of multiple arts awards, including the 2011 National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellowship.

As you’re making plans for the 4th of July weekend, be sure to save some time for taiko, because you will NOT want to miss this workshop!

WHAT: Master Class with PJ & Roy Hirabayashi
WHEN: Sunday, 2 July 2017, 5:00-8:00 pm
WHERE:  Dance Exchange, 7117 Maple Ave, Takoma Park, MD
COST: $50
PJ & Roy Hirabayashi (photo by Tom Pich/National Endowment for the Arts)

They will be in DC to perform at the Washington Folklife Festival and they have managed to set aside the time to share their unique energy and perspectives on taiko with us in this workshop!

PJ and Roy describe this workshop as a “master class in kumidaiko core values.” It will provide a participatory, inside look into the steadfast guiding principles of San Jose Taiko: Kata, Ki, Musical Technique, and Attitude. Participants will play with Roy and PJ in a set of fun and invigorating exercises that will strengthen and illuminate their capacity to play kumidaiko with a deeper connectedness. Come with bachi, curiosity, and an open mind.

To get more info and register via PayPal   click here

Workshop details updated on 14 June.

Sakura Taiko Fest THIS SUNDAY!

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Our fifth annual Sakura Taiko Fest is this Sunday!

To view this year’s program and make a donation via PayPal to support DC-area taiko, click here

See you on Sunday at at the Dekelboum Theater inside the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland! The show starts at NOON! If you’re driving to UMD, be sure to give yourself a few extra minutes to park (you can park for free on Sunday in Lot 1b/1d/Z, which is short walk via Alumni Drive, or you can pay a small fee to park in the garage across the street from the Clarice). If you’re taking Metro, there is a free shuttle that runs from the College Park Metro station.

Join us for the 2017 Sakura Taiko Fest

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This year is our FIFTH ANNUAL Sakura Taiko Fest!

2017_taiko_fest_flyer_web

We’ve come a long way from our first gathering of taiko enthusiasts in a dance studio in 2013. Last year, the Sakura Taiko Fest was part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival for the first time and gathered more than 50 taiko performers and an audience of more than 200. This year, we’re pleased to announce that we’ll once again be part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival and that the Taiko Fest will take place in the Dekelboum Concert Hall in the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland in College Park.

Some things haven’t changed, however. The Sakura Taiko Fest will still feature amazing performances from East Coast taiko groups. This year’s performers include ShinDaiko from Boston, Kyo Daiko from Philadelphia, Nen Daiko from Fairfax Station, VA, Kizuna and Miyako Taiko from DC, and more! The Taiko Fest is still a fun and family-friendly event that’s suitable for all ages. And yes, it’s still FREE!

Sakura Taiko Fest 2016
photo by Sarah Gilbert

For more info on the event, links to photo galleries from last year’s performance, and more, check out the official event page, and to get updates about the Sakura Taiko Fest in the weeks leading up to the event, please join our Facebook event.

We can’t wait to see you at the Sakura Taiko Fest!

 

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