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Meet the AIRMW Artists

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Asian Improv aRts Midwest Main Programs

Traditional

Tsukasa Taiko
Traditional Japanese drumming ensemble offering instruction, education, training, and performances
Community group dedicated to understanding and strengthening Japanese American, Asian American, and Japanese identities, Tsukasa Taiko respects tradition while developing artistic excellence and connoisseurship
Shubukai
Shubukai is now one of three traditional arts programs of AIRMW, and is the only Japanese certified classical dance program in the Midwest
Visit Shubukai.org for more details
Toyoaki Shamisen
New works of a 300-year legacy of Japanese cultural arts
The art of Japanese traditional lute, ozashiki shamisen (chamber music) with roots in Tokyo
Mikoren
First Awa Odori dance group in Chicagoland showcasing dance originated in Tokushima, Japan
Newly found community "Awa" dance troupe with regular instruction and performances for dancers of all ages

Contemporary

CAAJF
Chicago Asian American Jazz Festival presenting the finest in contemporary Asian American music
Internationally acclaimed Asian American artists and their collaborators weave together their collective flair producing an improvisational experience
Sudden Impact
Musical series facilitating monthly catalytic events curated by Tatsu Aoki
Co-hosted by the Hairpin Arts Center, Chicago experimental musicians take the stage to deliver new live music
Reduction
A celebration of the mix of traditional arts and contemporary practices presented as part of Taiko Legacy concert series
A refined response to the rising popularity of mainstream taiko drumming, focusing on the original theatrical and musical qualities unique to traditional Japanese artforms
The MIYUMI Project
Multi-generational band fusing Avant-Garde jazz with taiko drumming
One of the longest-standing amalgams between African American and Asian American musicians, combining Japanese traditional music and Chicago’s creative jazz

Arts Initiatives

Our Perspective
A program to provide inspiration, space, and audiences for Chicago based Asian Pacific American playwrights
VIsit our-perspective.com for more info
Bridge Dance Festival
A hub for global connection through the art of dance curated by Rika Lin
Co-hosted by Links Hall, contemporary dance forum and presentation fostering innovative experiments and cultural exchange
Chicago Obihiro Exchange Project
An immersive international exchange between Japanese-American artists in Chicago and artists from the Obihiro / Tokachi area in Japan
思考回路 SHIKOUKAIRO
Annual exhibition showcasing up and coming contemporary APA artists curated by Kioto Aoki and Kiyomi Negi
Featuring multilingual/cultural artists with Asian diasporic background and experiences, yet whose practices diverge from didactic and diegetic inquiries of cultural identity