It’s been over a decade since Kenichi Ebina glided, flipped, and mind-bent his way into America’s hearts on America’s Got Talent—but fans still can’t get enough. His unforgettable 2013 audition is basically AGT legend, and if you haven’t rewatched it lately, what are you doing?
Born in Japan, but made for the world stage, Kenichi stepped onto that Chicago audition platform looking like he’d walked straight out of The Matrix. And boy, did he deliver. Dressed in a dramatic leather coat that screamed “Neo vibes,” he unleashed a routine that defied both physics and expectations. Heads tilted. Jaws dropped. Limbs moved in ways that didn’t seem humanly possible.
What made his performance so revolutionary? Simple: Kenichi didn’t just dance—he invented a genre. He calls it “dance-ish,” and it’s a breathtaking mash-up of storytelling, mime, martial arts, jazz, freestyle, hip-hop, and pure cinematic flair. Think kung fu meets mime meets Broadway, and you’re only halfway there.
His Matrix-inspired audition was just the beginning. After skipping the Vegas round (yes, skipping—he was that good), Kenichi took center stage at New York’s iconic Radio City Music Hall. There, he blew minds again by dancing with… himself. A video backdrop of digital clones let him interact with multiple versions of his own character in a performance so innovative, it felt like the future.
And America couldn’t get enough. He danced all the way to the top, making history as both the first dance act and first non-American to win AGT. Ever since, his 134-million-view audition continues to rack up clicks, and with nearly a million likes, it’s still one of the most-watched and most-loved clips in AGT history.
The comments? Overflowing with admiration. One fan called him “a humble 38-year-old with one of the biggest performances in AGT history.” Another raved about his jaw-dropping physical control, shouting out a moment where he stood up using only his head. (No, seriously.)
Post-AGT, Kenichi didn’t disappear. He returned for AGT: The Champions, and though he didn’t make the finals, he did perform again during Season Nine’s results show. Back in Japan since 2015, he’s been dazzling crowds in Tokyo and working on his very own “dance-ish” app—because of course he is.
Twelve years later, Kenichi Ebina is still defying gravity—and expectations. If you need a reminder of what real, genre-busting talent looks like, go hit play on that audition. Trust us, it’s still pure magic.
