TAO: Drum Heart

Friends Hospitality at 5:45 p.m. Sat. and Sun.; Youth Martial Arts Demo at 6 p.m.

"Taiko" is the term used for the type of drumming featured by TAO — it means "fat drum" in Japanese.

TAO has performed in over 22 countries and 400 cities around the world. After its first performance at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, TAO sold out every show of its first North American tour.

Direct from Japan, TAO wields athletic bodies and contemporary costumes combined with explosive Taiko drumming and innovative choreography. TAO: Drum Heart has critics raving about TAO’s extraordinary precision, energy and stamina.

With hundreds of sold-out shows and more than 7 million spectators, TAO has proven that modern entertainment based on the timeless, traditional art of Japanese drumming entertains international audiences again and again.

The men and women of TAO live and train at a compound in the mountains of Japan, reaching the highest level of virtuosity only after years of intensive study. The performers each bring nontraditional flair to the group by drawing on their diverse backgrounds — one as a hard-rock musician, another as a gymnast and another as a composer. With whirlwind martial arts displays and pulsating beats, the drummers bring a young and vibrant style to this authentic show.