Chi Udaka

Following its critically acclaimed world premiere at the 2014 Sydney Festival, Taikoz will be touring their cross-cultural masterpiece Chi Udaka nationally, including Tamworth’s Capitol Theatre on 27th July.

A collaboration between Taikoz and the Lingalayam Dance Company, Chi Udaka is a dynamic, inter-cultural feast for the senses, seamlessly combining the intense rhythm and drama of the Japanese taiko drums with the complex and intricate movements of South Indian classical dance.

Inspired by the forces of nature, Chi Udaka is a meeting of the deep earthiness of taiko drumming, represented as Chi (Earth), and the flowing sensuality of dance, represented as Udaka (Water).

At turns delicate and dramatic, Chi Udaka connects the dynamism of Taikoz’s taiko, the melodic beauty of Grand Master Riley Lee’s shakuhachi, the sinuous strains of ‘cello, the mellifluous virtuosity of classical Indian vocals, and the evocative soundscapes of electronica, with Lingalayam’s blend of Bharatha Natyam and Kuchipudi dance forms.

With dance by Lingalayam’s internationally renowned choreographer Anandavalli and music by Ian Cleworth (Taikoz Artistic Director), Riley Lee, Aruna Parthiban, John Napier and John Cleworth, Taikoz’s Chi Udaka is a theatrical masterpiece not to be missed.