YAMATO: The Drummers of Japan to Take THE CHALLENGERS Across the U.S.

This winter, YAMATO: The Drummers of Japan bring their "genuinely theatrical experience" (TheTimes) to the United States for a 30-city tour of THE CHALLENGERS. The US appearances - from January 18-March 19, 2018 - are part of their 2017-2018 world tour celebrating the Taiko troupe's 25th anniversary. Stops in the US range from colleges and universities to large performing arts venues, spanning the entire nation from Maine to California.

Employing pin-point precision, ferocious skill, and high-energy creativity, this very modern troupe of young male and female musician-athletes creates for the audience an unforgettable spectacle. The group of a dozen-plus players start their performance by hitting a Japanese Taiko drum weighing half a ton, made from a single piece of wood from a tree that has aged more than 400 years. They move their whole bodies to strike the drum, creating a powerful surge of energy. YAMATO's live performances are full of intensity and exhibit great originality and innovation through this traditional Japanese musical instrument, with the belief that the drumbeat, like the heartbeat, is the very pulse of life, and the epitome of the Japanese spirit.

YAMATO artistic director Masa Ogawa says, "Taiko's rich reverberations have filled people with inspiration and encouragement in a wide range of settings. We are committed to preserving its traditions and exploring new possibilities for this majestic instrument."

The Challengers, or "Chousensha" is a new program created by YAMATO meant to challenge the possibilities of Taiko drumming. The Challengers is created to reflect the members' own lives and their experiences of challenging their own limits. "Most of all," writes Masa Ogawa, "The Challengers offers an anthem for encouragement to all who face their own challenges."

YAMATO teamed up with international fashion designer Kansai Yamamoto to create costumes for "Choushensha." YAMATO was inspired by Yamamoto's "limitless spirit of challenge," notes Ogawa. By wearing his designs, "we are able to refine our spirit even further and stimulate our challenging spirit."

Considered innovators of Taiko drumming, YAMATO continually evolves Taiko's "rules" and creates more modern and physically powerful performances while maintaining respect for the tradition. Notably, YAMATO broke from Taiko's long-standing patriarchy and has always included women in the troupe. And while the members train rigorously, beginning each day with a 10km run and weight training, Yamato imbues each performance with joy and a sense of fun, breaking from the stereotypical stoicism associated with this ancient art form.

Founded in 1993 in Japan's Nara Prefecture and presently based in Asuka Village, said to be the birthplace of Japanese culture, YAMATO travels all over the word with Japan's traditional Taiko drums, putting its very souls into the unusual instruments, whose sound stirs the hearts of people everywhere. Over the past 10 years, the troupe has performed in 51 countries and regions, giving 3,500 performances for nearly half a million people. They travel with about 40 Taiko drums, ranging in size from 10kg to 400kg. The troupe lives within the Village and engages in daily strength training, instrument practice, and program rehearsal. Always evolving the potential while respecting the tradition, YAMATO is a modern and relevant ambassador for Taiko drumming and for the Japanese culture from which it derives.

COMPLETE US TOUR SCHEDULE:
January 18 Orono, ME Collins Center for the Arts
January 20 Keene, NH The Colonial Theatre
January 21 New Bedford, MA Zeiterion Performing Arts Center
January 26 Branchburg, NJ RVCCARTS
January 27 Princeton, NJ McCarter Theatre Center
January 28-29 Greenvale, NY Tilles Center
January 30 State College, PA Eisenhower Auditorium
February 2 Bowling Green, KY Van Meter Auditorium
February 3 Louisville, KY The Kentucky Center
February 5 Findlay, OH Marathon Center for the Arts
February 6-7 East Lansing, MI Wharton Center for Performing Arts
February 8 Rockford, IL RCCA
February 9 Goshen, IN Goshen College Music Center
February 10 Wheaton, IL Wheaton College
February 11-12 La Crosse, WI Viterbo University
February 14 Omaha, NE Holland Performing Arts Center
February 18 Miami, FL Arsht Center for Performing Arts
February 19-20 West Palm Beach, FL Kravis Center for Performing Arts
February 21 Melbourne, FL King Center
February 24 Galveston, TX The Grand
February 26 San Angelo, TX San Angelo PAC
March 1 Wickenburg, AZ Del E. Webb Center
March 3 Scottsdale, AZ Scottsdale Center for Performing Arts
March 4 Tucson, AZ Centennial Hall
March 6 San Luis Obispo, CA PAC - SLO
March 10 Cerritos, CA Cerritos Center for Performing Arts
March 11-12 Northridge, CA Valley Performing Arts Center
March 14-15 Arcata, CA Humbolt State University
March 16 Rohnert Park, CA Green Music Center
March 18-19 Davis, CA Mondavi Center

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