Curious Conversation about taiko at Fox Tucson Theatre on January 24

CURIOUS CONVERSATION Taiko at the Fox
Tuesday, January 24 at 1:00pm “Learn about this powerful form of performance
art and how it has carved out a home in the Sonoran Desert for the past two
decades. 
The conversation will happen at the theatre and on Zoom, with someone who has
consistently been at the heart of Taiko in Tucson.  
Fox Theatre is at 17 W. Congress St., Tucson
FREE EVENT – REGISTER HERE

Anyone who has seen a Taiko performance knows what a powerful, visceral
experience it is.  It is for good reason that this form of Japanese ensemble
drumming has become popular across the world, even carving out a home for
itself in Southern Arizona for the past two decades!  Taiko groups have played
on the Fox Theatre’s stage for years now, including the upcoming performance
by hugely influential San Jose Taiko on  February 2, 2023.  Join us at the Fox
or on Zoom for a fascinating conversation about Taiko and how it came to Arizona,
with someone who has consistently been at the heart of Taiko in Tucson. 
Please register above.

Karen Falkenstrom is co-founder and Director of Odaiko Sonora. She has
studied with numerous taiko masters, including Fox artists Shidara and San Jose
Taiko. Karen is a member of Jodaiko and the North American Kasuga Onigumi 
international groups. A 37-year veteran of nonprofit arts, Karen’s honors include
YWCA Woman on the Move (2008), Pan Asian Community Alliance Woman of
the Year, the prestigious Arizona Arts Award (2009), Tucson Pima Arts and
Business “Lumie,” (2014), and a 2015 ACA Artist Research & Development Grant.
Karen is Odaiko Sonora’s lead drum builder, honored this year through a 
Southwest Folklife Alliance Master/Apprentice Fellowship.”
This event will be both in person and on Zoom


Akira Kurosawa film series at the Loft Cinema in January & February 2023

“When it comes to awe-inspiring filmographies, few directors can match Akira Kurosawa. Arguably the most celebrated Japanese filmmaker of all time, Kurosawa had an epic, long-running career that spanned from the Second World War to the early nineties and stands as a monument of artistic and personal achievement. Thanks to his massive international success, it’s no wonder that Hollywood quickly took notice of Kurosawa’s unmatched ability to elevate genre to art, and that countless generations of filmmakers were (and continue to be) inspired to pay tribute to the Master with their own variations on his work (and in turn, Kurosawa himself had many influences, with a number of his films being loose re-workings or direct adaptations of everything from westerns and film noirs to Dostoyevsky and Shakespeare). Thursday nights in January and February, The Loft Cinema is proud to present some of Akira Kurosawa’s greatest films on the big screen, paired with the classic Hollywood riffs, remakes and re-workings they inspired!”

Film series starts with “Yojimbo” on January 5, continues into February. See our Upcoming Movies link for the other Japanese movies. Loft Cinema is at 3233 E. Speedway Blvd, in Tucson.

Tucson Repertory Orchestra “Music of the Masters XVII” concert on December 29, 2022 conducted by Toru Tagawa

Event by Tucson Repertory Orchestra

St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church 7575 N. Paseo Del Norte | Tucson AZ

Schubert: Rosamunde Overture – James Rappaport, Conducting Mozart: Concerto for Flute in G major – Soloists: Mindi Acosta, Doris Medlicott, Sierra Norris

Sibelius: Symphony No. 2

www.tucsonrepertoryorchestra.org

Tea ceremonies on Dec. 18 at Yume Japanese Gardens

  • Sunday, December 18, 2022
  • 1:00 PM to 1:45 PM and at 2:00 PM to 3:15 PM
  • Yume Japanese Gardens of Tucson (map)

“The Japanese tea ceremony, or chanoyu (translated literally as “hot water for tea”), is a cherished ritual involving the preparation and presentation of powdered green tea in a highly stylized manner.

A host and a guest, wearing traditional Japanese kimono specific to the ceremony, will demonstrate how tea has been prepared, served, and enjoyed in Japan since the 12th century.

Presented by the Sakura Tea Circle.

Tea will be served to participants adhering to current health and safety guidelines.

Cost: $25 per person (includes Gardens admission). Members of Yume pay only $15.

Advanced ticket reservation is required. This is a limited admission event to guarantee social distancing to our guests.”

Other upcoming tea ceremonies on Feb. 19 and April 23, 2023.

Purchase Tickets

The Art of Kimono Lecture & Fashion Show at Yume Japanese Gardens on Dec. 11

  • Sunday, December 11, 2022
  • 10:30 AM  12:00 PM

“Yume Japanese Gardens will host a lecture and a live fashion show on the Art of Kimono on Sunday, December 11th from 10:30AM – 12:00PM.

Lecture:
The Art of Kimono by Lia Chen
During her lecture, Lia Chen (Arizona Kimono Club) will discuss an iconic traditional Japanese robe, the kimono. So easily definable by its simple, straight seamed “T” shape, the kimono shows remarkable complexity in its craftsmanship, extreme versatility in its use, and rich dynamism in its countless adaptions to the evolution of taste and society.
Lia Chen has studied under a kimono teacher and certified lecturer by the Sodo Kimono Academy in Japan and has a deep love for the fascinating world of kimono born from studying Japanese tea ceremony.

Fashion Show:
Live Demonstration of a variety of kimono by Arizona Kimono Club

Kimono & Accessory Sale:
A sale of vintage kimono and accessories will follow the presentation. Rarely available for purchase in Southern Arizona and difficult to find traditional Japanese items will be not only an amazing browsing experience, but will add beauty to anyone’s collections, wardrobe or even home décor.

Payment at Kimono Sale: Cash or Check ONLY

This event is presented in conjunction with the exhibit: “Obi: Beauty in a Knot”, at Yume Japanese Garden’s exhibit which is running October 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022.”

Tickets to the Event:
General Admission $15
Seniors/Students/Military $10
Free for Members of Yume Japanese GardensPurchase Tickets