ARTS FOR ARTS’ SAKE: DRUM AND DANCE COLLABORATION FOR HARVEY ARTS RECOVERY

Recovering from the damage inflicted by Hurricane Harvey will be a marathon, not a sprint. Among the many thousands of people in our region affected by the storm are our local artists. September’s devastating floods destroyed artwork, tools, studios, rehearsal spaces, costumes, instruments, and vehicles. Performances were canceled and artists were displaced. Smaller artists, especially, struggle to recover from such huge losses on their own.

In the wake of Harvey, local arts supporters and organizations banded together to create the Harvey Arts Recovery Fund. This project supports the disaster recovery needs of the Greater Houston arts, culture, and creative community across ten counties by collecting and distributing assistance to help individual artists and smaller organizations get back on their feet.

Kaminari Taiko was lucky not to suffer serious damage during Harvey. We can still perform at our full strength, and we want to use our good fortune to help other artists who cannot. We are proud to partner with our friends at Silambam Houston, MATCH, and Harvey Arts Recovery to present this concert to raise funds in support of local artists. All proceeds will be donated to Harvey Arts Recovery.

The evening will feature both taiko and Indian classical dance. Taiko is a style of Japanese ensemble drumming that combines booming rhythms and high-energy choreography. The fusion of traditional and modern musical styles brings new power and vibrancy to a centuries-old art form. Taiko is athletic, spiritual, toe-tapping, heart-pounding, and eye-catching, all at once.

Indian classical dance is a complex and nuanced dance language that is thousands of years old. With intricate footwork, sculpturesque poses, captivating facial and body language, breathtaking costumes, and beautiful melodic and percussive accompaniments, Indian classical dance combines several artistically stimulating experiences into a single performance art. Taiko and Indian classical dance pair beautifully, and we’re excited to present them on the same stage for the first time in Houston.

The devastation wrought by Harvey has caused so much pain and loss throughout our region. But, as we’ve already seen many times over, we are strong, and when we work together we can build each other back up to be even greater and more connected than ever before. Greater Houston’s diverse community of artists of all styles and backgrounds enriches our city, and we can’t let that light fade. Please join us to help ensure that our artists have what they need to write, draw, compose, perform, build, and embody the art that brings joy to all our lives. Together, we can recover.