KIDC Judges

In order to ensure that the competition is impartial and transparent, KIDC changes its judges every year. This also provides the added benefit of allowing participants to be judged from a new perspective each year.

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  Michael Shannon

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  Shannon was trained on full scholarship at the School of American Ballet, the National Ballet School of Canada, and the Hungarian State Ballet Academy. Discovered by the Bolshoi at 16, he was the “First American Graduate of the Bolshoi Ballet Academy.”
  
  Shannon was a Principal Dancer for the Bolshoi Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Vienna State Opera Ballet, Stars of the Bolshoi Ballet, Hungarian State Opera Ballet, and Kremlin Palace Ballet Theatre, with commendations from President Bush and President Clinton, and has performed for President and Mrs. Gorbachev, President Nazarbayev, and President and Mrs. Ford to name a few.
  
  He is a National Endowment for the Arts Awardee, and Two-time Laureate and Medal winner of International Ballet Competitions in Paris, France, and Budapest, Hungary. He was Director and Chief Choreographer of the shortly revived Russian Imperial Theatre of Opera and Ballet under the Patronage of Her Imperial Highness the Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna Romanov.
  
  Shannon was co-Artistic Director and Chief Choreographer of Russiches Kammertheater Berlin, and awarded Professor of Choreography from the Ukrainian State Academy of Ballet in 1999, and YAGP Outstanding Choreographer in 2008.
  
  In 2008, he became Resident Choreographer for America’s Configuration Dance Theatre, awarded Artvoice Best Dance Company in 2008, 2009, and 2010. From 2010 until 2014 he was Artistic Director and chief choreographer of the Royal Ballet School Antwerp.
  
  Since 2014 he resides in Tokyo, Japan and is a Choreographer and Master Teacher for Architanz. In October 2016 he created choreographed and directed a new 2 act contemporary ballet “Midnight in Paris,” for the Vanemuine Ballet Company in Tartu, Estonia, and in December 2016 he created and choreographed “Dui Dao,” a new 1 act contemporary ballet for the Beijing Dance Academy 3rd year Bachelor degree program.
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  Aizada Tumakova

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  Aizada Tumakova is a ballet dancer and choreographer from Bishkek, Kyrgyz. She has received numerous honors, including being named an Peopl's Artist of the Kyrgyz Republic, and is an honorary member of the International Academy of Arts. Educated at the Moscow State Academy of Choreography, she has performed as a principal soloist with ballet companies in Kyrgyz, Tajik, and Sweden. Currently, she serves as the Chief Choreographer at the Kyrgyz National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, and is recognized as an internationally acclaimed ballet artist with a diverse repertoire.
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  Teet Kask

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  Teet Kask
  Teet Kask is a choreographer of international recognition. He has worked at Estonian National Opera and Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet, Norwegian National Opera and Ballet and Tbilisi State Opera and Ballet. He has MA Choreography from famous LABAN - City University of London. Kask was appointed as Creative Director for Ballet and Contemporary Dance at new state music and dance school MUBA. He is active in a wide range of activities, including working with his own company, creating performances in public spaces, and organizing dance festivals.
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  Kimiho HULBERT

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  ベルギー生まれのイギリス人。5歳より岸辺光代のもとでバレエを始め、アントワープバレエ学校を経て、94年コロラドバレエ団に入団。97年に帰国し、その後新国立劇場バレエ団へ入団（97〜09年）。
  1999よりフリーとして日本バレエ協会公演などで活躍する一方、振付家としての活動を開始。2001年自身で振付・演出を手がけ、ダンサーとしても参加する『UNIT KIMIHO』を結成。
  2007年UNIT KIMIHO初の自主公演「GARDEN OF VISIONS」を開催後、オン★ステージ新聞アンケートによる新人振付家ベスト１に選出される。2010年トヨタ コレオグラフィーアワード 2010にてオーディエンス賞受賞。第47回(2015年度)舞踊批評家協会賞—新人賞受賞。
  またカンパニー活動の他、日本バレエ協会、新国立劇場(オペラ、バレエ団、バレエ研修)や国内の様々なバレエ団等で作品を上演。堤幸彦監督映画「溺れる魚」の振付、劇団昴「夏の夜の夢」、Willy Decker演出 新国立劇場オペラ「軍人たち」振付、田尾下哲演出ミュージカル「Bonnie and Clyde」、「The Club」、「リゴレット」(オペラ)振付、Johnson and Johnson CM、アンジェラ・アキPV等、舞台以外でも振付活動を行い、海外では韓国、ベルギー、オランダ、マレーシアなどにも招待され作品を発表している。また、若いダンサーの育成にも力を入れ、コンテンポラリークラスやコンクールバリエーション振付を担当。現在はクラシックバレエとコンテンポラリーバレエの両方踊るダンサー＆振付家として日本で活躍中。
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  Agnese Andersone

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  Agnese Andersone graduated from the Riga Ballet School in 1996.
  
  She started her career as a ballet soloist at the Latvian National Opera, successfully debuting in many roles.
  
  Danced title roles in such ballets as Cinderella and Pippi Longstocking, as well as solo roles in other repertoire performances. Collaborated with choreographers - Radu Poklitaru, Aleksandr Ratmansky, Peter Zuska and others.
  
  Since 2009, she has been working at the Riga Ballet School as a teacher, but since 2017 she has been the director of the Riga Ballet School, whose goal is to preserve the tradition and heritage of classical dance, as well as to develop innovative and European trends in the school.
  
  She has been a part of many ballet competition jury’s - Hungarian grand prix, Baltic Ballet competition, Vibe in Korea, etc.
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  Aleksandr Buber

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  Born in Minsk, Belarus
  
  1991
  Entered the Belarusian State Ballet School.
  
  2001

  • • Diploma Award, 1st Kazan International Ballet Competition.
  • • Graduated with highest honors from the Belarusian State Ballet School.
  • • Joined the Belarusian National Bolshoi Ballet of Minsk.

  
  2003

  • • Promoted to Principal Dancer of the Belarusian National Bolshoi Ballet of Minsk.
  • • Received the Philip Morris Award, presented annually to the most outstanding young artist.

  
  2004

  • • Jury Chairman’s Award, Varna International Ballet Competition.

  
  2005

  • • Gold Medal (Classical Division), 5th World Ballet & Modern Dance Competition.
  • • Awarded the President of Belarus Prize.

  
  2006

  • • Diploma, USA International Ballet Competition (Jackson, Mississippi).
  • • Joined K-Ballet Company (Japan).
  • • Graduated from the Faculty of Ballet at the Belarusian State Academy of Music, specializing in ballet pedagogy, and obtained certification as a ballet teacher and ballet mistress.

  
  2008

  • • Left K-Ballet Company in November and began working as a freelance ballet dancer.

  
  2009

  • • Started serving as a jury member at the Machida National Ballet Competition and became active as a ballet teacher and choreographer.

  
  2010

  • • Invited as a teacher for the All Japan Ballet Development Association Winter Ballet Seminar.
  • • Served as Ballet Master for the Japan Ballet Association production of Don Quixote (Valentin Elizariev’s version).

  
  2011

  • • Founded the Watanabe–Buber Academy.

  
  2020

  • • Guest Teacher at YAGP Osaka.

  
  Repertoire

  • • Ali — Le Corsaire
  • • Basil — Don Quixote
  • • Mercutio — Romeo and Juliet
  • • Prince — Swan Lake
  • • Prince — Cinderella
  • • Albrecht — Giselle
  • • Prince — The Nutcracker
  • • Golden Idol — La Bayadère
  • • Le Spectre de la Rose
  • • Cipollino
  • • Don José — Carmen
  • • Franz — Coppélia
  • • La Fille mal gardée
  • • Satanella
  • • Numerous original choreographic works.
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  Elisabetta Hertel

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  Born in Turin, Italy, she graduated from the prestigious Académie de Danse Classique Princesse Grace in Monaco before joining the Stuttgart Ballet in 1984. Under the artistic direction of Marcia Haydée and Reid Anderson, she performed an extensive repertoire including The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, and Onegin, as well as works by renowned choreographers such as George Balanchine, Maurice Béjart, William Forsythe, and Jiří Kylián.
  After retiring from the stage, she earned the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) Professional Dancer Teaching Diploma with Distinction. In 2002, she founded the Accademia Internazionale Coreutica in Florence, Italy, where she continues to serve as Artistic Director. Today, she is internationally active as a ballet educator and adjudicator, collaborating with leading ballet academies and prestigious competitions around the world.
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  Syunya Nakajima

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  Shunya Nakajima,
  began studying ballet at the age of 3 under the guidance of his grandparents, Hisashi Nakajima and Kashie Uno. He later trained with Masataka Ando, Toshiharu Oddera, Hitomi Yagi, and Ayako Nakajima.
  
  In 2014, he joined the National Ballet of Japan as a First Artist.
  
  In 2020, he was cast as Coppélius in Roland Petit’s Coppélia, receiving critical acclaim.
  His repertoire includes a wide range of roles such as:
  Hilarion in Miyako Yoshida’s Giselle,
  the Magician/Mad Hatter in Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,
  the Prince’s Friend in Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella,
  one of the Four Princes and the Wolf in The Sleeping Beauty by Willam Eagling,
  Drosselmeyer in The Nutcracker,
  the Maghrib Man and Gold in David Bintley’s Aladdin,
  Don Quixote in Alexei Fadeyechev’s Don Quixote,
  and Baron von Rothbart in Peter Wright’s Swan Lake.
  
  He was promoted to Soloist in 2022 and left the company in 2025.
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  KIKI-Sohsooji

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  Born and residing in Korea, KIKI has been the artistic director of Seoul International Dance Carnival (SID) and PAS SHOW. She is also a choreography trainer in the K-pop entertainment field and participated in the choreography for the BTS Black Swan MMA stage.
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  Koichi Omae

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  A professional dancer with an artificial leg who lost a leg due to a traffic accident.
  Koichi graduated from a (BA) Dance Program of Performing Arts Department at Osaka University of Arts. Koichi is also called "Hanabusagoryu Koichi" as an accredited master of "Hanabusagoryu of Classical Japanese Dance" (Nihonbuyo). Koichi's solo performance at the closing ceremony of the "Paralympic Games Rio2016" drew attentions to both Japan and overseas and he performed with "Ken Hirai" in the 64th "Red & White Year-end Song Festival" (Kouhaku Uta Gassen) and was later featured in "NHK Special". He co-starred with "Amon Miyamoto", "Kodo", "Kansai Yamamoto", "Ai" (singer), "Ayaka Hirahara", "Chizuru Azuma","MIYAVI", "SAM" (TRF), "Ai Haruna", "Sojiro"(ocarina player), "Kayoko Shiraishi","ReijiroTsumura" "Kaiji Moriyama","AlessioSilvestrin", "Ryohei Kondo", "Motoko Hirayama","Tomohiko Tsujimoto"," Youichi Ochiai"," Eitetsu Hayashi ","Takashi Niigaki", Jun Hashizume", and "Dai Fujikura" (composer).
  Koichi also appeared on JABBAWOCKEEZ's " "Jreamz " in Las Vegas in United States. Not only he performs on stages, he also apprers on TV, Radio, TV commercials such as "Panasonic", fashion magazines such as "GQ" and medias. Koichi has received numerous awards both nationally and internationally.
  Recently, Koichi has worked as a "Shinagawa 2020 Sports Ambassador", a "Yokohama 2020Cultural Program Producer", a "Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Runner" and appeared at the"Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Opening Ceremony". Koichi is an author of "Bokurashiku Odoru/Dance True to Myself" (Gakken Plus)
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  Daniela Rapisarda

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  Daniela Rapisarda
  Artistic Director and choreographer of Oniin Dance Company. She founded the company in 2012 at the Teatro delle Celebrazioni in Bologna. She has worked in Italy as a dancer and choreographer with international artists such as: Massimo Ranieri - Giancarlo Giannini - Ennio Morricone. Currently she collaborates in New York with the contemporary dance company White Wave and the Peridance Center. She is also a Naturopath and author of the book "Una cellula chiamata Universo".
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  Alessandro Vacca

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  Alessandro Vacca
  Choreographer and principal dancer of the Oniin Dance Company. Principal dancer of international fame, he has collaborated with the best Italian artists such as: Elisa, Claudio Baglioni, Giancarlo Giannini, Ennio Morricone. Soloist in the operas Turandot, Barbiere di Siviglia, Mefistofele - in the Italian musicals "Evita" and "Jesus Christ Superstar". He holds workshops for Oniin in America, Europe, China, Japan, Korea. Currently he collaborates in New York with the contemporary dance company White Wave and the Peridance Center.
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  Norihito Ishii

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  Norihito Ishii
  Butoh Artist / Choreographer / Director of Butoh Ishii-Gumi / Artistic Director of DEVIATE.CO
  
  Norihito Ishii began street dancing at the age of 17, earning numerous awards in competitions.
  After working as a backup dancer for artists and appearing in commercials and theme parks, he shifted his focus to stage performance in 2006, taking part in productions by acclaimed directors such as Yukio Ninagawa and Amon Miyamoto.
  
  Since launching his solo career in 2007, Ishii has pursued stage art that explores madness and universal beauty, delving into the depths of society and the human psyche.
  
  In 2010, he joined the butoh company Sankai Juku, performing in over 75 cities across 27 countries to date.
  
  He was the runner-up twice at the Seoul International Choreography Festival (SCF) in 2013 and 2015.
  
  Starting in 2017, he has staged the spatial art and butoh performance series "Garando no Niwa" in cities including Matsumoto, Sapporo, Tokyo.
  
  In 2020, he founded his own company, Butoh Ishii-Gumi, to explore the fusion of butoh technique and contemporary dance. In 2022, his piece "Seigi Kenri Ai" premiered in Paris.
  
  In 2021, he choreographed "CHAIN of INFINITY", directed by Tamiyo Kusakari, opening new artistic possibilities for butoh.
  
  In 2024, he was featured on the cover of Atmos Magazine, earning international recognition for his expressive physicality and philosophical depth.
  
  In 2025, Ishii participated in "DO the XR”, a project of the urban culture and technology art festival DIG SHIBUYA, where he created the XR butoh piece "unreal ritual", which was also exhibited at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai.
  That same year, he appeared in the world’s first professional dance league, D.LEAGUE, expanding the realm of butoh into contemporary dance.
  Through collaborations across diverse fields, he continues to broaden the awareness and possibilities of butoh.
  
  http://norihitoishii.com/index.html