Happy Holidays!

2020 has certainly been a tumultuous year, at times scary and confusing as we’ve navigated our way through this pandemic. But the challenges of the year have also brought creative opportunities: how does a performance ensemble stay connected when we can’t perform together? How do we learn new material and keep our playing sharp when we’re isolated at home? How do we reach our fans, who are also facing these hard times? While it was sometimes a struggle, we managed to find ways to do all of these, thanks to the creativity and determinedness of our members and volunteers.

When it became clear that our time apart would not be short, we got to work and created our first at-home video, Sakura Sakura. Since then, we've tested small, socially distanced practices where we focused on learning specific pieces that can be a challenge in a large group. Recently, we've been working on a series of holiday-themed videos to celebrate the season while the usual gatherings between family and friends are disrupted. Did you miss the Bon dances this summer? Try a Holiday Bon Odori to get yourself moving!

And while we are eager to say goodbye to 2020 and the challenges that came along, we remain grateful for everyone's support. We don't know when classes and performances will resume, but they will, and we remain hopeful for the time when we can all be together again. Until then, stay warm and stay well!