Baton Star Celebrates 20 Years with Cirque du Soleil’s KÀ Show

Noriko Takahashi is a celebrated baton twirling prodigy from Japan who has been dazzling audiences in Las Vegas for 20 years at Cirque du Soleil's KÀ, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year at the MGM Grand. In KÀ, Takahashi plays the Chief Archer's Daughter, which allows her to fuse her incredible talent for playing with batons and acting."For me, it's very special to be in the show as a baton twirler," she remarked in a recent interview.

Her childhood journey into baton twirling began when her grandmother suggested she try a class. Takahashi quickly excelled, winning championships at a young age and eventually becoming a world champion. Despite her prowess in baton twirling, she finds acting a significant challenge due to her shyness. "I don't say 'easy,' but more confident to do that. But being actress is very, very hard because I'm shy, very shy," she admitted, laughing.

Takahashi is committed to developing a way of thinking about baton twirling that elevates its perception from something you would see at a competitive cheerleading event or a marching band to an artistic experience.  In KÀ, Takahashi thinks of the performance as storytelling, which allows the audience to appreciate the beauty and strength of baton twirling as an art form.

Takahashi participates offstage with her local Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. She works with the Aki Matsuri Japanese Festival in Henderson, Nevada, as she has been part of the organizing committee since its inception. The festival will be on October 11 at Water Street Plaza.

KÀ has recently increased its performance schedule to allow for two earlier weekend shows at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m., in addition to continuing its Monday through Wednesday night performances for 7:00 and 9:30 p.m.

Kà and Takahashi's combination of athleticism and artistry encourages the audience to consider the transformative power of performance art.