World Ballet Day 2026

World Ballet Day returned this year as global celebration of dance, and this year’s theme was around celebrating the stories behind ballet as an art form.

As candidates have been training hard this week in the studios at our Battersea headquarters, hoping to gain a place in the final of The Margot Fonteyn Ballet Competition this weekend at the famous London Coliseum, we’ve put together a video to highlight what the event is all about.

As well as explaining the history and format of The Fonteyn, it also features the work of the Frederick Ashton Foundation as candidates are trained in one of his famous variations for the competition.

Good luck to everyone taking part this weekend!

Photo: Katie Butcher.