The name “Kodo” in Japanese means both “heartbeat” and, with some slight modification, “children of the drum”—either way an apt appellation for this internationally beloved troupe. Playing traditional taiko drums that vary in size from 12 inches to 6 feet in diameter, these rigorously trained drummers elicit sounds that range from gentle rain to crashing thunder, in performances that offer the physicality and acrobatics of dance and a truly astonishing sonic experience. “Sensational…[the audience] were held silent and rapt, viscerally sharing that thrilling, throbbing sound” (Phindie.com).