Four large taiko drums took over the stage as Dance Marathon neared the end of its 26-hour run with a performance from Yukai Daiko.
“The reason we decided to audition was just to bring the sound of Japanese drumming into the mix of the other performers,” said fourth-year art student Hoi Leung, one of the co-directors of the group. “It’s a pretty powerful instrument to have in the space.”
As the group began its first song, the crowd remained quiet, watching motionlessly as the performers forcefully beat the drums. About halfway through the song, the rhythm increased in speed, and students began to sway to the beat, dancing rhythmically.
[Throwback: Drumming to a different beat]
Third-year molecular, cell and developmental biology student Fergui Hernandez bobbed to the beat of the music, her sparkly, silver antenna headband bouncing in the air.
“It was very cool once I got into the beat,” Hernandez said. “I absolutely loved it because we got to experience a new culture.”
The group performed three songs, and for their final song they encouraged marathoners to participate by shouting the letters of UCLA in between drum beats.
“Yukai means cheerful, so (I hope people take away) the joy of drumming and making sound and moving around,” Leung said.