Only the Good Die Young...

Why is it that the shows you want to see have a long, successful run are the ones that can only perform for a limited engagement?  Without getting into the "nitty gritty" world of Broadway funding, let's focus on a bright spot – OTODAMA – which is wondrous beyond words, but unfortunately falls into this category where too many people will never get a chance to see it.  Well, at least not on this run…

 

 

 

OTODAMA is the brain child of Yako Miyamoto, a five year veteran of STOMP, who formed a dance group called Cobu  (translated as 'Dance like Drumming, Drum like Dancing') comprised of two men and seven women.  In OTODAMA, audiences watch Cobu as the group guides them through a fusion performance of traditional Japanese Taiko drumming and American funk tap dance.  What's nice to note about Miyamoto's direction of OTODAMA is that she makes it into a performance that is not just another variation of STOMP.  Although you can see elements of the show's influence in OTODAMA, Miyamoto's vision remains strong and original while focusing on the physical beauty of drumming and combining percussive rhythms to compliment the rhythmic sounds of tap dance.

 

 

 

 

As the show began, I realized that my guest and I were two very qualified people to attend OTODAMA.   My guest has been a drummer for years and currently works with several commercial percussion companies – a true scholar in the field.  While I wouldn't necessarily deem myself a scholar in the world of dancing, my childhood and teenage years were filled with numerous dance classes, including tap, where the importance of achieving every sound with a tap shoe was stressed, along with the importance of the visual element.  Lines had to be straight and formations needed to be exact in all performances.  I figured between me and my guest, we had our bases covered and were a very knowledgeable pair walking into the theater.    I think our expertise in our respective fields was evident as our opinions formed early on in the show.  My guest was blown away by the drumming the minute the performance began and was enthralled with the use of numerous world drums like the Japanese Taiko and the African djembe.   As the show started, the drumming indeed was spectacular, but my perfectionist eyes were picking up on the small nuances throughout the dancing.  Some dancers had earrings on while others did not.  There were inconsistencies with uniform costumes such as where some performers rolled up their sleeves and others didn't which grated on my nerves.  Also, in a peculiar observation, I noticed that all the women had such strong arms in every single dance and drumming routine.  Their arm movement incorporated the reality of beauty, strength and fluidity as one, while the male performers failed to match the same feel.  Their arms were inconsistent to the female performers, often times breaking at the elbow and eluded the audience of seeing the long line which added tremendous overall value to the dancing and drumming.  However, I think these minor elements were simply a case of the performers not "gelling" as they immediately began the show.  As the show continued on, my above mentioned details that seemed to mean so much to me in the beginning soon started to melt away as I was engrossed with the overall performance of OTODAMA, thoroughly enjoying what I was witnessing.

 

 

 

The range that OTODAMA covered in each scene was amazing and showed the versatility of all its cast members.  In one scene, there is a freestyle "dance-off" involving all of the cast.  The costuming should be well noted in this scene as each individual's wardrobe was full of funky color, enhancing the overall performance and movement.  The costumes were al la RENT and presented a youthful, energetic attitude.  However, in the next few scenes, the cast comes on stage in traditional Japanese costumes to perform an inspiring and tasteful dance paying homage to their Japanese culture.  The routine featured three Taiko drums which were played in a traditional Japanese manner while American tap filled in on the drums' restful beats.  This scene, without a doubt, was the show stopper of the OTODAMA.  I was blown away by its beauty and impressed by the technicality of its composition.  The rhythm of the tapping complimented the drumming in such an unexpected and beautiful way that I knew I was seeing something unique and something truly special.  In most big Broadway productions, your eyes need to constantly wander around the stage to capture all the elements a show stopping number.  In OTODAMA, in a tiny theater in the East Village, it wasn't necessarily just your eyes doing the wandering - it was your ears as well.          

 

 

 

OTODAMA is an unlikely combination that works better than you would ever imagine possible.  The members of Cubo are an extremely talented group of people with a belief in making two opposites come together in a harmonious way.  It is raw talent with no technical equipment to enhance the performance.  With OTODAMA, what you see is what you get – or rather, what you hear is what you get.  OTODAMA is undoubtedly as fun to listen to as it is to watch!

All photos by Yasushi Ogata

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