Dancing to the Beat of the Drums
Dancing as an Expression of Drumming
Drumming and dancing. Dancing and drumming. Like the chicken and the egg, drumming and dancing are as inseparable as the heartbeat and the breath.
Those of us living in the oasis called Santa Cruz have the good fortune to keep company with myriads of gifted dancers representing vast arrays of cultures and styles. Dancing in the Streets celebrates our good fortune, and on this page we share with you our gratitude to the gods and to the dancers who share with us their joy.
We feature Santa Cruz' Dancing in the Streets, which is part of National Dance Week and features local dancers. But we gladly acknowledge dancers from all corners of our world.
We encourage you to alert us of noteworthy events coming up by dropping us a line at DrTom@DrumDr.com, calling or texting us at +1 (831) 428-6626 or filling out a contact form.
A Dance to Tide You Over
The pandemic really put a damper on many of our favorite activites and events. The annual Dancing in the Streets celebration held in downtown Santa Cruz as part of National Dance Week was cancelled for a couple of years.
Still we look to the future with hope, and we look to the past to nurture that hope. Enjoy this performance from the Church Street Fair of 2018. We hope to see Shakti Bakti again soon.
Don't you love those drumming feet?!
Abhinaya Dance Company
The Abhinaya Dance Company of San Jose was founded by its Artistic Director Mythili Kumar in 1980, to present innovative and professional quality performances of South Indian classical dance forms.

Vijayadasami – student recital
When: October 5, 2025Where: Chinese Performing Arts Assoc., San Jose
Fee: ?
Shivanshi Saund Arangetram
When: October 11, 2025Where: Cupertino, CA
Fee: ?
Niharika Ramanatham
When: October 19, 2025Where: Cupertino, CA
Fee: ?
Fall Concert
When: November 8 & 9, 2025Where: Mexican Heritage Theater, San Jose
Fee: ?
More info for Abhinaya Dance Company's events at https://abhinaya.org/performances/
Dancing in the Streets 2024
This year we had better luck capturing some of the terrific performances presented by our great local dancers. Enjoy.
Dancing in the Streets 2023
This year we were not able to capture many of the marvelous performances presented by our great local dancers. The good news is that the annual event has recuperated from the pandemic, and we gladly share with you what we can.
Dancing in the Streets 2019
Another great edition of Dancing in the Streets graced the streets of Santa Cruz on the 18th of April. Some old friends were present and a host of new artists joined the festivities. We hope you were able to attend, but if not, below is a sample of what you can expect next year.
Dancing in the Streets 2018
This year's edition of Dancing in the Streets was as fun and exciting as expected. We were unable to record some of the finest performances for various reasons, but we did get some great video. We share that with you here. Enjoy.
Dancing in the Streets 2017
We were unable to attend last year's celebration, but we were present and accounted for at a few of this year's great performances. Below, please find a sample of the evening's fare.
Dancing In The Streets 2015
While we were not able to attend every performance of this year's event, we did manage to capture on video a good selection from the schedule. Please enjoy.