SWINGPOSIUM to Bring Taiko, Swing Dance to Saint Paul, Feat. Emily Kuroda
Gloria Kumagai and youth musicians from Hopkins High School join the cast at CSPS Hall in Saint Paul.
On Oct 16-18, 2026, Swingposium will tell the Twin Cities the true story of how Japanese Americans used swing dance and jazz to create joy and find hope in the WWII incarceration camps. Created and produced by San Jose Taiko and co-presented by TaikoArts Midwest and Theater Mu, this immersive show will fill the air at CSPS Hall with the thunder of taiko drums, live jazz, and the sound of dancing as this little told history finally gets the spotlight. Swingposium's genre-blending, immersive theater is an event like no other.
- This all-ages show teaches how joy is a form of resistance. Less than 100 years after the internment camps, the US federal government is opening new detention centers, increasing police surveillance, and changing who has a right to belong.
- Swingposium is tying in the local community through the family stories of Japanese American elder Gloria Kumagai; music played by Hopkins High School Jazz Band and the Twin Cities Youth Jazz Band; select cast members; and additional drummers from TaikoArts Midwest.
- This is the first time Swingposium has been presented in the Midwest.
- Swingposium marks the first time TaikoArts Midwest and Theater Mu have collaborated on a co-presentation since their time together as Mu Performing Arts (1992-2017).
- Plus, fans of Gilmore Girls will recognize Emily Kuroda as part of the cast!
From 1942-46, around 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry—two-thirds of whom were citizens—were detained in America's WWII incarceration camps. This history is not taught enough in schools. Even less known is the history of how these Japanese Americans kept up morale in the face of it all through swing dance and jazz. So, when TaikoArts Midwest approached Theater Mu in 2025 to talk about bringing San Jose Taiko's Swingposium to Minnesota, there was an immediate desire to make it happen.
'For me this is joyful resistance—how music and arts feed the soul to bring connection, community, and resilience,' TaikoArts Midwest Executive Director Jennifer Weir says. 'San Jose Taiko created something that honors Japanese American history, but is so relevant today. It is the perfect project to bring TaikoArts and Mu back together. Besides, swing dance plus taiko drumming? How can anyone say no to that?'
Mu Artistic Director Fran de Leon says, 'In this immersive experience, we step back in time to honor our American elders' resilience and learn from their resistance. While we often hear the phrase 'unprecedented times' to describe our country's current struggle over immigration, detention and incarceration based solely on ethnicity is far too familiar to the Japanese American community. Swingposium doesn't ask you to watch that history: It invites you inside it.'
TICKET INFORMATION
Advanced tickets to the show are $35, with youth tickets at $25 for those 17 years and under. Purchase them at theatermu.org or by calling 651.789.1012. Tickets are $40 at the door. Groups of 10+ can receive discounted tickets costing $25: Reach out to info@theatermu.org to book.
This is an immersive, primarily standing event. Limited amounts of seats are available on a first come, first served basis, and artists may ask if you want to leave your seat to move and dance. Seating priority will be given to people with access needs. Please note of necessary accommodations in the appropriate spot in the ticket purchasing process.
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