Cultural Communities / Countries of Origin: Japan

Traditions Thursdays: The Living Traditions of Taiko & Capoeira

Karen Falkenstrom of Odaiko Sonora and Anne Pollack of Capoeira Mandinga share roles, responsibilities, and ethics of teaching and transmitting traditional practices. Deeply engaged in the practice and teaching of their respective forms, both artists will speak about their personal journeys acquiring and transmitting cultural knowledge. Facilitator: KATE ALEXANDER, TMY Performance Curator KAREN FALKENSTROM, Founder/Director, … Read more

Traditions Thursdays: Dances of Gesture in Japanese and Indian Traditions

Join Naina Bhamidipati and Mari Kaneta for a conversation about gesture as a vehicle for storytelling in dance and the work of upholding a dance tradition outside its cultural homeland. Bhamidipati demonstrates bharathanatyam, a traditional dance from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, accompanied by her brother, Nitish, on the mridangam drum. Kaneta, founder … Read more

Akiko Victorson

Akiko Victorson learned the art of Japanese calligraphy, called Shodo, at culture lessons in elementary school from a master calligrapher. Not simply a writing style, the calligraphy is a form of expression developed by Buddhist monks who trained in China. The calligrapher has only one chance to create with the brush, so she must concentrate … Read more

Chieko “Chi” Nakano

Chieko “Chi” Nakano is a lecturer in East Asian Studies at the University of Arizona. She teaches the art of origami every year at Tucson Meet Yourself. Origami, or the Japanese art of paper folding, is said to have a history of more than a thousand years. Making origami is something all Japanese girls—and most … Read more

Takoyaki Balls

A festival favorite of Japanese dishes including Takoyaki balls, aka Octopus dumplings.

Mari Kaneta & Suzuyuki-Kai

Mari Kaneta is founder of the Tucson-based Traditional Japanese Dance group Suzuyuki-Kai. She received her degree and professional training in Tokyo and received the dancing name “Suzuyuki” in 1973. Kaneta has performed at multicultural events in Phoenix and Tucson for the past 25 years and internationally in Caracas, Venezuela and Nogales, Mexico. Mari established the … Read more