November 8–15, 2001

music picks|world

Yamato Wadaiko

You’ve noticed those billboards everywhere, "body by ballet," and other related displays of finely muscled dancers? Now imagine those monuments to the fitness benefits of dance armed with clubs and beating, with fierce synchronization, monster drums and gongs, grinning gleefully and springing about in a way that is definitely dance and definitely not ballet. The drums vary — from a size fit for athletes to leap about with to the truly gigantic player-dwarfing models. There you have the thumbnail for the traditional Japanese drumming ensemble, of which Yamato Wadaiko is a prime example. The 11 members are about evenly divided between male and female, all of whom hail from Nara, the ancient capital of Japan formerly known as Yamato. Presently Yamato is on its first North American tour and reports are both audiences and band are thrilled with the energy exchanged.

—Mary Armstrong

Sun., Nov. 11, 7 p.m., $25-$40, Irvine Auditorium, 34th and Spruces sts., 215-898-6701, www.pennpresents.org.