Featured Japanese Performances
Below are the performances for last year’s Japan festival. Until new details are released for 2012, this will remain for historic purposes.
PERFORMANCES IN YARDLEY HALL |
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12:00 – 4:00 pm |
CONCERT #1 |
Yardley Hall |
| 12:00 | Ottawa Suzuki Strings | Yardley Hall |
| 12:20 | Buyo Dance with Yoshiko Yamanaka | Yardley Hall |
| 12:35 | Sumo | Yardley Hall |
| 1:15 | Ki-Daiko – Olathe District Schools Taiko | Yardley Hall |
| 1:30 | Three Trails Taiko | Yardley Hall |
| 1:50 | K-State Yosakoi Dance Group | Yardley Hall |
| 2:15 | Taka – Koto TrioGenroku Hanami Odori – Koto Trio, Shakuhachi , Drum and Buyo Dance | Yardley Hall |
| 2:30 | Duo Sokyo – Koto, Shamisen and Shakuhachi | Yardley Hall |
| 3:00 | Denver Taiko | Yardley Hall |
| 3:40 | Finale | Yardley Hall |
4:30 – 8:30 |
CONCERT #2 |
Yardley Hall |
| 4:30 | Buyo Dance with Yoshiko Yamanaka | Yardley Hall |
| 4:45 | Sumo | Yardley Hall |
| 5:30 | Ki-Daiko Olathe District Schools Taiko | Yardley Hall |
| 5:45 | Three Trails Taiko | Yardley Hall |
| 6:10 | Sumo | Yardley Hall |
| 6:55 | Taka – Koto TrioGenroku Hanami Odori – Koto Trio, Shakuhachi , Drum and Buyo Dance | Yardley Hall |
| 7:15 | Duo Sokyo – Koto, Shamisen and Shakuhachi | Yardley Hall |
| 7:40 | Denver Taiko | Yardley Hall |
| 8:15 | Finale | Yardley Hall |
PERFORMANCES IN POLSKY THEATRE |
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| 10:00 – 10:20 | Opening Ceremony – Festival overview, highlights and Introduction of Featured Artists | Polsky Theatre |
| 10:30 – 10:50 | Ottawa Suzuki Strings | Polsky Theatre |
| 11:00 – 11:45 | Yosakoi Workshop – K-State Yosakoi Dance Group | Polsky Theatre |
| 12:00 – 12:45 | Denver Taiko Workshop | Polsky Theatre |
| 2:00 – 2:45 | Tea Ceremony Demonstration | Polsky Theatre |
| 3:00 – 4:30 | Martial Arts Demonstrations | Polsky Theatre |
| 4:45 – 5:45 | Cosplay Fashion Show and Contest | Polsky Theatre |
FOOD COURT PERFORMANCES |
CAPFED – REGNIER CENTER |
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| 11:00 – 6:00 | Various Musicians will perform throughout the day | Regnier Center – Food Court |
Sumo Performers
This year the 14th Annual Greater Kansas City Japan Festival is proud to offer as the featured performers, two SUMO wrestlers who will perform for you and explain all about Sumo..
Ryūta Yamamotoyama, 6’4”, 601 lbs., was born on May 8, 1984, in the city of Saitama in Saitama Prefecture, Japan as Ryūichi Yamamoto. Yama, who fought in professional sumo with the “shikona” (fighting name) of “Yamamotoyama” is the biggest Japanese sumo wrestler ever, and actually the largest Japanese person in history. He is currently 6’4″, 601 pounds.
Yama has been practicing sumo for the past 20 years. He won five major championships while he was a student at Nihon University, and after graduation, he joined the professional ranks, competing for the “Onoe-beya” stable. In professional sumo, he reached the very top “makuuchi” division in only two years (twelve tournaments), the second-fastest pace ever in pro sumo history.
Yama recently retired from professional sumo, and is now on a tour in the United States for several weeks, to promote sumo, meet his American fans, travel in a new country, and raise money for the Japanese Red Cross, to help victims of the March 11 disaster in Japan.
Kelly Gneiting, 6’0″, 420 lbs, three-time US Sumo Champion and a Guinness World Record holder (largest human ever to run a marathon). On Sunday, March 20, 2011, he finished his second marathon in continuous pouring rain with an Official Time of 9 hours, 48 minutes, 52 seconds! His previous marathon record was 11 hours, 52 minutes, 11 seconds.
Kelly has been competing in Sumo since 2001, traveling to 11 countries and 15 states for competitions and shows. He has won numerous medals, and received many honors. At the 2010 US SUMO OPEN he won Heavyweight Silver and Openweight Silver awards.
The announcer for our SUMO demonstrations will be Mr. Andrew Freund, Director of the California Sumo Association. Mr. Freund is the producer of several hundred sumo events worldwide, interpreter and an announcer for professional Japanese Sumo and a Sumo competitor internationally. He will explain to attendees about the history of Sumo, what the various movements and gestures represent, how Sumo matches are held and he will referee a match between our two Sumo performers. Some kids may even get to come up on stage and try to push the “big boys” around!
Three Trails Taiko
Formed in the spring of 2010, Three Trails Taiko is Kansas City’s newest adult taiko group. They draw their name from the three trail heads that originated in the Kansas City area (Santa Fe, Oregon and California Trails). They perform audience favorites like “Matsuri” and “Omiyage”, but have also composed two original pieces, “Hajime” and “San kyu do-Bushi”. Members of Denver Taiko will join Three Trails to perform “Omiyage”. Don’t miss this exciting new Taiko performing group!
Denver Taiko
A Festival favorite and back by popular demand is DENVER TAIKO! Denver Taiko was founded in 1976 and is an ensemble of third, fourth and fifth generation Japanese Americans. Currently the group includes fourteen musicians that is comprised of not only veterans who have performed with Denver Taiko since its inception, but also energetic and talented teens. Denver Taiko is an important part of Colorado and the West’s cultural landscape, playing at concerts, festivals and diversity celebrations throughout the region. The group was honored in 2001 by Denver’s Mayor Wellington Webb when it received the Mayor’s annual award for Excellence in the Arts.
Be sure to come to see the energy, spirit and artistry of Denver Taiko that has “rocked” audiences for over thirty years!
Duo Sokyo – Traditional Japanese Music by Yoko Hiraoka, David Wheeler
These accomplished classical Japanese musicians have delighted Festival audiences for years. Come hear the unique and sounds of the Biwa, Shamisen and Koto, performed by Yoko Hiraoka and the soothing, sometimes haunting sounds of the Shakuhachi, performed by David Wheeler.
Along with their concert performances, Yoko will also be featured on a trio performance with two koto and cello. Come meet them up close and learn about the Biwa and the Shakuhachi in the newly expanded lecture / demonstrations offered in Polsky Theatre.
Ms. Hiraoka plays the Biwa, Koto, Shamisen and sings. She has taught and played extensively in the United States and Japan since 1981 and currently teaches in Boulder, Colorado. Mr. Wheeler is an accomplished shakuhachi performer and musicologist. Since 1982, David has been performing, teaching, lecturing, and writing about the shakuhachi and Japanese music both in Japan and around the world, and has made numerous performance appearances on Japanese television and radio.
Buyo Dance – Yoshiko Yamanaka
Japanese Buyo Dancer, Yoshiko Yamanaka, was born and grew up in Kyoto. She began studying Buyo Dance at the age of six. At the age of twelve she became a dancer of the Wakayagi School of Buyo Dance. At the age of twenty-one she was certified as a teacher in the art. In addition, she has studied and is a qualified teacher in the Tea Ceremony of the Ura Senke School, of Ikebana (flower arranging) and is a certified lecturer in the art of classical Kimono wear. Mrs. Yamanaka has studied all of the disciplines of a classical Japanese lady and in most all of them has attained the top level of expertise. Even in Japan it is rare to find an individual with her extremely high level of training and expertise in most of the traditional female arts
Kansas State University Yosakoi Dance Group
Yosakoi is a unique style of dance that originated in Japan. Yosakoi started in the city of Kochi in 1954, as a modern rendition of Awa Odori, a traditional summer dance. As of 2005, Yosakoi-style dancing has spread throughout much of Japan. The style of dance is highly energetic, combining traditional Japanese dance movements with modern music.
The K-State Yosakoi dancers traveled to Hokkaido, Japan, in June of 2006 to participate in the large Yosakoi festival there. With over 43,000 dancers and 370+ teams, K-State Yosakoi Dance Group was awarded with a “Performance Award”!
KSU Yosakoi Dance Group website
Ki Daiko Olathe High School Taiko Group
Ki Daiko is comprised of students, alumni and friends from the Olathe District Schools. The group was formed in the spring of 2004. The name “Ki Daiko” has a very special meaning and captures the spirit of the group. Ki means “energy” and Daiko or Taiko means “big drum”. These students approach their practices and performances with great energy. Their performances are memorable and filled with excitement. Their repertoire is varied and includes original compositions, various instruments and even dance.
It was only since the 1960′s and 1970′s that “gumi taiko” or “group taiko” became popular. Ki Daiko will perform
“Kitsune no Yomeiri” (Fox Wedding). The tribal beat can be heard throughout this piece as the group reveals the magic and mystery of a Fox Wedding.
Group founder and director, Dianne Daugherty lived in Japan for three years and studied various cultural arts including Taiko drumming while there. She teaches Japanese at Olathe North High School and for JCCC. Additional adult volunteers include Keiko Okada-Brown and Jerry Daugherty. Jerry has made over six drums for the group and repaired others. Members of Denver Taiko have also provided workshops and invaluable advice for this group.
Ottawa Suzuki Strings Institute
The Ottawa Suzuki Strings Institute is an ensemble of young violinists, violists, and cellists from two to twenty years of age. These young string players receive their music education in Ottawa, Kansas, at the Carnegie Cultural Center in a program directed by violinist, Alice Joy Lewis. Their music study is based on the Talent Education approach of Dr. Shinichi Suzuki. The Ottawa Suzuki Strings have partnered with the Ottawa Community Arts Council to establish and maintain the Carnegie Cultural Center in Ottawa.
They host two summer music events in Ottawa annually in June — a 10-day “Sound Encounters” program for advanced string players and a five-day Suzuki Institute Mid-Southwest program. These programs draw registrants internationally and from across the United States. Concerts are open to the public without charge.
