Summary
Organization name
TaikoArts Midwest
Tax id (EIN)
81-2475404
Categories
Arts & Culture
BIPOC Serving
BIPOC Serving
BIPOC Led
BIPOC Led
LGBTQ+ Serving
LGBTQ+ Serving
Address
655 Fairview Ave NSt. Paul, MN 55104
TaikoArts Midwest
is Making Her-story!
Raw and intimate, Finding Her Beat follows five female Japanese taiko drumming artists who break from restrictive gender traditions, redefining their power through celebration, defiance, and revolution.
“Women hide their power. They imply power indirectly. Taiko was only performed by men. But you could practice off-stage. For a while, I wanted to quit every day, every day.” — Chieko Kojima
The Finding Her Beat documentary feature film follows five of the leading female taiko artists in the world: Tiffany Tamaribuchi (CA, USA), Jennifer Weir (MN, USA), Megan Chao Smith (MN, USA), Chieko Kojima (Sado Island, JAPAN), and Kaoly Asano (Tokyo, JAPAN) as they combine forces to create art and defy cultural norms. The first-ever gathering of all-female taiko artists, the launch of HERbeat: Taiko Women All-Stars residency and concert was born. The Finding Her Beat film chronicles the entire process, culminating in a total of 17 female taiko all stars from Japan and North America creating and performing together—in the dead of a Minnesota winter, no less—to create an epic, transformative performance art experience for artists and audiences alike.
Through Finding Her Beat, the struggles of these trailblazing and boundless artistic women are shared with the goal of amplifying their thundering heartbeats and rallying cries to join the fight for international gender equality gathering momentum today around the world.
HERbeat film shoot, Sado Island, Japan Photo by Keri Pickett
HERbeat All-Stars, photo by Rich Ryan 2020
Your Continued Support is Critical
We are committed to infusing creativity into our taiko drumming and how we share it. For information about classes, please visit our website here.
Become a champion of taiko by donating today!
TAM still needs your help! Please consider a tax-deductible donation to fund:
- To continue our mission of excellence in taiko by nurturing local artists, bringing in master taiko teachers to MN, and by performing throughout the state.
- A nation-wide impact campaign to bring Finding Her Beat to as many audiences as possible, including schools and universities.
- To support taiko for BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and homeless youth.
Please join us in introducing the women of taiko to audiences around the world and offering transformative healing through the power and majesty of taiko.
HERbeat All-Stars, photo by Sara Gilbert 2020
TaikoArts Midwest
OUR MISSION: To develop, produce, and promote artistic excellence in taiko performance, using taiko as a way to strengthen and build community in the Midwest.
TaikoArts Midwest is dedicated to supporting artistic excellence in taiko performance. We celebrate and recognize the full diversity and depth of taiko arts. We provide aspiring taiko drummers opportunities to train and grow while sustaining taiko traditions and encouraging innovation. We understand the challenges and importance of representing Asian arts and artists in our Minnesota landscape. We believe in the emotional, cultural, and physical benefits of teaching taiko, especially in our schools.
Ensō Daiko was founded as Mu Daiko in 1997 by Rick Shiomi. New Artistic Director, Jennifer Weir, renamed it Ensō Daiko in 2017, when TaikoArts Midwest took over the taiko program formerly supported by Mu Performing Arts. Over twenty years, we have built a strong community of artists, students, and enthusiasts. We created a diverse canon of new work and gained a national reputation for a unique visual and theatrical style of performance. We have taught thousands of students in schools and are often an audience’s first introduction to the art form itself.
Media gallery
Organization Data
St. Paul, MN 55104