It's a small world at international children's fest

Imagine an enchanted virtual garden, where images of flowers bloom and disappear as performers touch hidden sensors with their feet and other body parts.

This phantasmagoric, participatory spectacle is concocted by Teatro di Piazza o d'Occasione (TPO). But you don't have to fly to Italy with your kids to expose them to this inventive "visual-theater" troupe quartered near Florence.

The group is one of 10 headlining acts in this year's Seattle International Children's Festival (SICF), the delectable annual banquet of music, dance, puppet, circus and theater acts which officially begins today at Seattle Center.

Andrea Wagner, executive director of the fest, describes TPO's show "The Japanese Garden" as "part storytelling and part interactive-visual technology. It is a continuation of the programming that we're doing for the youngest audience, but it's a trippy experience for adults, too."

That can be said for many productions the festival has imported since it got going in 1986. Through weekday shows aimed largely at school groups (bused in from throughout the state), a Saturday "family day" of shows and free arts activities, and, lately, evening events targeted more at adults, SICF continues to regale us with sounds and stage images from near and far.

And no passport is necessary.

Some artists to watch for in this year's festival:

Petrona Martínez: Grammy-nominated singer from Colombia, prized for her stirring vocals with percussive backup on native Afro-Colombia instruments (ages 7+).

Nephesh Theatre Company: A unique Israeli theater troupe which will perform a drama with music and animation based on the real-life saga of Ethiopian Jews migrating to Israel — on foot (ages 10+).

Jo Taira: A young puppeteer, winner of Japan's National Puppet Contest, who uses toys, dolls and household objects to impart stories (all ages).

Amazones: A contingent of master female drummers from Guinea (ages 7+).

In addition to the daily roster of performances, the fest has an evening series for teens and adults called Seattle International Nights, including:

"Global Divas," 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Fisher Pavilion: With Martinez, flamenco artist Savannah Fuentes and Palestinian singer Reem Kelani.

"The Space Between," 7:30 p.m. Friday, Bagley Wright Theatre: An expanded show by the acrobatic Australian circus Circa.

Savannah Fuentes Flamenco and Friends, 8 p.m. Friday, the Vera Project: An evening of hot flamenco dance and song at the all-ages Vera Project.

Misha Berson: