Ensō Daiko

(formerly Mu Daiko)

Ensō Daiko offers loud, energetic performances that combine music, dance, culture, and pure athleticism. The group regularly premieres new work adding their unique voice to the expanding canon and innovation of North American taiko. Through performances, studio classes and school residencies, Ensō Daiko has taught thousands of students of all ages and abilities.

Ensō Daiko was founded as Mu Daiko in 1997 by Rick Shiomi. New Artistic Director, Jennifer Weir, renamed it Ensō Daiko in 2017, when TaikoArts Midwest took over the taiko program formerly supported by Theater Mu.

Enso workshop with Bob Schmitt, Laughing Waters Studio

A symbol in Zen Buddhism and Japanese calligraphy, ensō has many meanings:

circle of togetherness
strength, elegance, enlightenment
the moment when the mind is free to let the body create
the acceptance of imperfection as perfect
the void or “mu”

Jennifer Weir, Artistic Director

Jennifer has been studying, performing, teaching, and composing taiko for the past two decades. One of the original members of Mu Daiko, she has presented at TEDxUMN:Re-Awaken, bushCONNECT, and the James P. Shannon Leadership Institute. Weir is a past recipient of the following grants: MN State Arts Board Artist Initiative, American Composers Forum's Live Music for Dance MN, MN Regional Arts Board, American Composers Form, Jerome Travel and Study, and Arts International. She is also a theater director, dramaturg, and has worked extensively with Theater Mu.