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Penn State College of Arts and Architecture
Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State

Event Slides Per Node 1415

  • Four percussionists wearing belted pants and decorated vests yell out while they play their giant drum kits.
  • A group of musicians bang on drums that are suspended from harnesses around their bodies.
  • A percussionist with two drumsticks bangs on a large drum held upright by two men.
  • A musician plays the flute while drummers in the background look on.
  • Five musicians kick their left legs straight out to the side in unison while playing hand cymbals.
  • Three musicians play large drums set on their side on a platform while a fourth performer stands on the platform and plays a smaller drum.
  • Seven percussionists sit cross-legged on a platform on stage each in front of a large drum with their backs to the audience and their arms crossed behind behind them.
  • A drummer yells out while playing a drum suspended by a harness from her shoulder.

Yamato: The Drummers of Japan
Chousensha — The Challengers

10:00 am Tuesday, January 30, 2018
60 minutes

Yamato is a high-energy taiko drumming troupe embodying thousands of years of culture into its live performances. When Yamato musicians strike drums made from ancient trees, they move their whole bodies with everything in their souls, creating a powerful surge of energy. Yamato’s greatest goal is to send audiences home with a new vitality and passion for life. Chousensha – The Challengers encompasses company members’ feelings and experiences about their own lives and limits. It offers an anthem of encouragement to each audience member as he or she journeys forward facing life’s challenges. Yamato has visited fifty-three countries, played more than 3,000 performances, and attracted in excess of six million viewers. This will be the troupe’s fourth appearance at the Center for the Performing Arts.

Key Learning Areas: 
Forces and Motion
Historical and Cultural Contexts
Humans and the Environment
Comprehension and Collaboration
Global Competency
PA Academic Standards: 
Science and Technology
Arts and Humanities
Environment and Ecology
Artist Websites: 

support provided by
McQuaide Blasko Endowment

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Educator Preparation Materials: 

We provide teaching materials that point out subject area connections that follow the Pennsylvania Standards Aligned System/Academic Standards, the Pennsylvania Department of Education and Learning Standards for Early Childhood, and the Common Core State Standards. Contact Medora Ebersole at 814‑863‑6752 or mde13@psu.edu to receive these resources.