Announcing the winners of the Bedells Bursary 2026

The Royal Academy of Dance is delighted to announce the winners of The Bedells Bursary 2026 which took place at the RAD’s headquarters in Battersea, London, across Sunday 25 and Monday 26 October 2026.

Now in its 47th year, The Bedells Bursary competition recognises young dancers’ excellence in artistic and technical achievement. Named in honour of Phyllis Bedells, a founder member and Vice-President of the RAD, it is a global competition open to members of the RAD who are 17 years of age and under and who have passed the RAD Advanced 1 Examination (with Distinction).

Thea Martin, a British dancer aged 15, currently training at the Ella Morgan School of Classical Ballet won the main bursary prize.

Ichika Tsuchihara, a Japanese dancer aged 15 currently training at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts won the musicality award.

Stuart Rankine, a British dancer aged 17, currently training at Elmhurst Ballet School, won the choreographic award.

This year’s judges were Therese Cantine ARAD, Shevelle Dynott MBE and Xhan Hon Goh CM, D.Litt.

Candidates were judged on an onstage ballet class led by Elaine Holland, a classical repertoire variation and a Dancer’s Own variation.

On Sunday 25th October, ahead of the competition, candidates took part in coaching and classes, with Leanne Cope coaching the classical repertoire variations and Darren Parish coaching the Dancer’s Own and leading the warm-up class.

48 young dancers from Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Japan ,Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States took part in this year’s competition, coming together for the event at the RAD’s headquarters in London Battersea.

The main bursary prize, supported by the Mary Kipps Bequest, has a value of £1,000 to be used to further the winner’s training.

The Choreographic Award, which has a value of £250, recognises choreographic talent and is made possible by a generous bequest from the estate of the late Dr. Ivor Guest.

The Musicality Award, which has a value of £100, is funded by the Lynn Wallis Bursary Fund.

Past winners of the competition include principal dancers of The Royal Ballet, Lauren Cuthbertson and Anna Rose O’Sullivan, and English National Ballet artist Jakob Wheway Hughes (who also went on to win the Genee Gold Medal at The Margot Fonteyn International Ballet Competition in 2023).

The Bedells Bursary is a pathway to the RAD’s flagship event The Margot Fonteyn International Ballet Competition. Representing the pinnacle of achievement for young people trained in the RAD syllabus, The Fonteyn competition is one of the leading ballet competitions in the world, dedicated to promoting and rewarding excellence in young ballet dancers internationally.

The Fonteyn 2026 competition will take place in London across 31 October – 8 November. 71 young dancers from around the world will meet at the RAD’s headquarters in Battersea for a week of coaching and semi-finals. The week will culminate in a ticketed final performance, which will see 12 finalists take to the stage of the London Coliseum on Sunday 8 November at 6:00 pm.

Click here to book your tickets to this year’s final of The Fonteyn.