Raging Asian Women
After leading a two-hour "Rage On! Taiko Drumming Workshop for Empowerment" at 1 p.m., the Raging Asian Women troupe will perform at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 20 in Skidmore's Arthur Zankel Music Center.
The free workshop is open to the public, but space is limited and preference will
be given to students and faculty. Tickets for the performance are $8 for general admission,
$5 for seniors and the Skidmore community, free for students and children; call the
box office at 518-580-5321 or click here.
Raging Asian Women are members of a community arts collective formed in 1988 in Toronto. RAW is one
of North America's only all-female groups performing taiko, a style of traditional
Japanese drumming that is typically very energetic, powerful, and strictly choreographed.
Citing the exhilaration of drumming, RAW says one of its goals is "personal empowerment,
and we do it through drumming, playing, discussion, and fun."
According to its website, RAW honors the North American taiko heritage that traces
back to the Asian American movement of the 1960s and 1970s, which highlighted issues
of racial equality and social justice. The troupe has performed at a wide variety
of events including pride celebrations, International Women's Day observances, art
festivals, union conventions, and social justice events.
Their Skidmore visit was facilitated by music professors Lei Ouyang Bryant and Liz
Macy.
