Awaji Puppet Theatre

God of Happiness Ebisu

Japan

With a history spanning over 500 years, Awaji puppetry continues to evolve, while still preserving a balance of both past and contemporary. Passing from generation to generation still today, the artform remarkably maintains the essence of its historical roots. Audiences witnessing Awaji Puppet Theatre are invited to find charm in a variety of elements that draw attention with each performance - powerful storytelling and gidayu narration, resonating shamisen sounds, and of course, delicate puppetry movements which depict culturally important figures in all of their brillance.
For its collaborative performance with AAC in "Alice in Awaji Island," Awaji Puppet Theater presents Ebisu, god of fortune, who makes an appearance in many of Alice's most important encounters.

Natsumi Kanamori

Alice

Japan

Hailing from Mie Prefecture, she graduated from the Osaka University of Arts with a major in Musical Theater. Her accolades include having received the Outstanding Leading Actress Award at the Osaka Student Theater Festival. Currently, she works as an entertainer, primarily active within the Kansai region. With her versatile range of talents, she has performed in a number of vocal, dance, acting, and narrative roles spanning her career.

Kota Igarashi

Cheshire Cat, Ebisu (voice)

Japan

Born in Tokyo, Kota began playing the taiko drum from the age of 6. He graduated from the Department of Psychology at Kanagawa University, playing the drums in a big band during his studies. In 2017, he moved to Awaji Island where he debuted his acting career in Shaju Ei's work, "Awaji no Tsuki ni Chikau, where he played the roles of a taiko drummer, Tokoyo Maru, and Kanta. Since then, Kota's career has been characterized by playing multiple roles in single works - in "Dounikanarusā," he played the roles of Kengo Todoroki and a drummer; in "Aya to Rousoku no Mori," he performed the roles of Gobou, Enoki, and Marimos.
Aside from acting, he has also continued his connection withtaiko drumming on Awaji Island, having studied under Shuichiro Ueda.

ZeC-Zenzero & Cannella

Queen & King of Hearts

Italy

Argentina

Magdalena Vicente and Nicolò Bussi

Zenzero & Cannella is a hand-to-hand acrobatic and juggling duo based in France. Magdalena Vicente (from Argentina) and Nicolò Bussi (from Italy) first met at the Festival Circa, in the south of France.
Today, the two perform regularly, both in their own shows and in other productions throughout Europe, while ocassionally travelling to other parts of the world to showcase their talents. Wherever they go, the two encounter a fascinated audience, captivated by the creativity and sense of sympathy found within each of Magdalena and Nicolò's movements, which include breath-taking jumps, suspensful mid-air handstands, and an array of emotions filled with laughter. Each show commits to enriching the creativity and motor abilities of as wide an audience as possible, having been displayed at schools, retirement communities, and even pentitentiaries. Inspired by the unusual in circus, Magdalena and Nicolò present a fresh form of contemporary circus that one can only witness with their own eyes.

Monique Schröder

Flying Fish

Germany

A graduate of the State School for Circus Arts, Monique Schröder is a Germany-based circus acrobat who first discovered the object central to her unique performance - the Gymball - five years ago, by playing volleyball with it. By chance, she discovered an expressive possibility within it - and now, through a curious recontextualization of use, Monique presents the Gymball as a medium for stunning flips, tricks, and stunts which had yet to be seen. In addition to her performance with Gymball, Monique has also developed her own act which combines handstand with high-skilled dance floor acrobatics. She performs regularly on international stages, enchanting any audience with her unexpectedly signature circus display.

Kirill Fire

Sea Miracle

Russia

Kirill is a freestyle basketball champion.
After witnessing a freestyle show at a local basketball tournament in 2007, he got inspired to take it to the next level.
He combined sport and art, creating a perfect mix of action movement.
Traveling the world, he made thousands of people happy by sharing a positive energy while doing impossible tricks.
When you see him perform, it feels like the basketball is a part of his body.

GENESIS

Royal Cards

Japan

GENESIS was founded by Kyoto and Shiga-based baton twirler Seishi Inagaki, who is known for achieving 23 gold medal accolades in world championship events, and for his involvement with Cirque du Soleil. Since GENESIS's formation, the group has gone on to receive perfect scores by a full panel for two world championships in a row, while also having received the Prime Minister's Award.

Anastasiia Ilina

Cute Caterpillar

Ukraine

Anastasiia Ilina began exploring contortion as a profession from the age of 24. Attracting the attention of many through her immense talent in flexibility, she has even made an appearance in the popular Disney film "Dumbo", directed by Tim Burton. On the stage, Anastasiia stuns audiences, questioning the limits and possibilities of the human body and movement through her bodily expression. Furthermore, it is one of her dreams to inspire others through contortion, helping others to discover the possibilities of their own bodies.

Tea＆Biscuits

White Rabbit Couple

England

Tea & Biscuits is a British duo that combines highly-skilled circus with first-class comedy.
Sam Goodburn & Poppy Plowman use their interesting combination of juggling, tightwire, unicycle - and tea and biscuits of course - to invite their audiences into a unique and magical world of "Tea time".
With Sam's clumsy personality and Poppy's precarious balance, each performance bridges a gap between reality and fantasy, and is sure to wow any audience.

Nelia Ivanova ＆
Svitlana Shlikhter

Holy Cranes

Ukraine

● Nelia Ivanova
She completed her education as a ballet dancer at the Odessa University of the Arts. After graduating, she performed as a dancer at the Lviv National Opera House for two years, and has also appeared in numerous well-known productions including The Nutcracker (as a soloist), Don Quixote, Giselle, Swan Lake, and Esmeralda.

● Svitlana Shlikhter
While a professional ballet dancer at the Serge Lifar Dance Academy in Kiev, she performed at the National Theater as a soloist, participating in several competitions pertaining to both classic and modern dance styles. After her graduation, she continued by appearing in performances at the Lviv National Opera for a period of two years.

JAVI JAVICHY

Happy Hatter

Spain

Javi Javichy is a showman, juggler, and clown performer born in Madrid in 1977. After many years of active training, he has spent more than 18 years bringing his laughter and heart to the five continents, and has performed in Europe, Japan, America, Africa, New Zealand, and Asia.
His shows ignite audiences, using laughter as a common thread that pulls people together in their appreciation of hope, joy, and happiness - their success throught Javi's career spans nearly 20 years, and have been showcased to the world over 5,000 times.

JUMPLIFE

Flower Miracles

Japan

JUMPLIFE first encountered the activity of jumprope at a young age, becoming interested in techniques from both single-rope and double dutch. In 2021, he achieved the title of champion at the Jumprope World Championships. With his impressive skill, JUMPLIFE performs using jumprope in a variety of styles, and has appeared in visual media and promotional material, including a performance at the Olympic Games.

Cia Tu Mateixa

Alice Puppet

Brazil

"Laia and the Flight of Imagination" is a wordless string-puppet show performed by Brazilian puppeteer Júlia Barnabé and her marionette, Laia. Laia, a wooden string puppet with 20 strings and articulated eyes, was handmade and brought to life by Júlia herself. Between puppet and puppeteer, one can observe a delicate game of both complicity and affection. The show tells us about love and tenderness, and also of the dual existence of dream and reality in a child's world. Laia and the Flight of Imagination has its own original soundtrack, composed for accordion, bass, and guitar by Brazilian musicians, and has been performed in over 10 countries throughout Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa.

音楽島 -Music Island-

Music band

Japan

Violin : Miho Fuji
Saxophone : Ririka Koyama
Marimba & Vibraphone : Nanaka Kuroda
Bass : Robert Widlowski
Piano : Yuki Hasegawa
Drums : Joe

August 2020 marked the beginning of the "Music Island" project, a new effort to revitalize Awaji Island through music. With an initial focus on Awaji Island's west coast, many events such as the "Ocean Terrace Jazz Night" and "Musical & Opera Night" have been held every week since September 2020. Additionally, many events have been fronted by the backing band of singer Asato Shizuki, who has made appearances in Hello Kitty Show Box's character show, the September 2021 musical, "Dou ni ka narusa ~Kobe Jazz Monogatari~", and as a jazz band member in the December 2021 performance "IL Male ~Umi ni dakarete~". With now over 50 musicians in residence, the Music Island project continues to attract art to Awaji Island and challenge the possibilities of new working lifestyles.

鼓淡 ～KOTAN～

Taiko drum group

Japan

Direction, arrangement, and choreography by Shuichiro Ueda

Kotan was created as a regional revitalization project on Awaji Island that unites young performers from all across the country. The group is currently under the direction of Shuichiro Ueda, a Kobe-born taiko musician known domestically and abroad for his work with the group "Eitetsu Fu-un no Kai" (led by Eitetsu Hayashi), and as a prominent taiko soloist in various orchestral and kabuki performances. Since its creation, Kotan has expanded its reach to include not only Awaji Island, but other locations throughout Kansai and Kanto; presenting a broad range of entertainment experiences through collaboration with live with ballet accompaniment and more.