The winners of The Margot Fonteyn International Ballet Competition 2026

We are pleased to announce the medallists of The Margot Fonteyn International Ballet Competition, the final having taken place at the London Coliseum this evening.

The Fonteyn is the pinnacle for young dancers trained in the RAD syllabus, with previous medallists including the likes of Claudia Dean, Leanne Benjamin, Steven McRae, and Francesca Hayward.

After a week of coaching and semi-finals, the coveted Genée Gold, silver, and bronze medals were awarded to:

• Genée Gold medal (sponsored by Freed of London): Erin Alarie, age 17, from Canada, currently training at the Oakville School of Classical Ballet, and taught by Amanda Paterson.
• Silver medal: Tsz Ho Ting, age 18, from China, Berlin State Ballet School, taught by Wong Ka Yan Cynthia.
• Bronze medal: Chi Kok Ip age 18, from China, currently training at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts, and taught by the school’s faculty.
• Bronze medal: Siena Murphy, age 17, from the United Kingdom, currently training at English National Ballet School and taught by Nicola Simpson, Senri Kou and Lynne Charles.

Chelsea Humm, 19, from New Zealand, received the Margot Fonteyn Audience Choice Award.

At the semi-finals on Friday, Gonzalo Toledo was announced as the Musicality Award winner and Erin Alarie won the Dancer’s Own Choreographic Award.

A week-long competition, The Fonteyn attracted 71 candidates from 19 countries, who took part in coaching sessions led by a faculty including RAD’s Artistic Director, Alexander Campbell, Carrie Taylor Johnson, Cira Robinson, Helen Crawford, Johannes Stepanek, Justine Berry, and Ricardo Cervera.

The semi-finals were judged by a panel comprising Ana Maria Campos, Leanne Cope, and Mthuthuzeli November.

For the final, finalists performed before a panel comprising Dame Darcey Bussell DBE, Francesca Hayward, Kevin O’Hare CBE, Mthuthuzeli November, and Lynn Wallis OBE.

The pianists for the competition were Rebecca Leshures, Matthew Mills and Richard Norriss. Additional pianists for the warm-up classes were Cyrus Gabrusch, Martin Cleave, Jonathan Still, Jacob Krokodeilos, and George Webster.

This year, the RAD collaborated with The Frederick Ashton Foundation to integrate Ashton’s choreography into the competition, allowing candidates from across the world to engage directly with Ashton’s distinctive style, characterised by elegance, lyricism and expressive musicality.

At the final, finalists performed Classical Repertoire Variations and their ‘Dancer’s Own’ choreograhy, as well as a variation by Sir Frederick Ashton, for which they have been coached by Ricardo Cervera and Helen Crawford throughout the week at RADance headquarters.

As well as The Fonteyn finalists taking to the stage, audiences were treated to two guest performances, with Royal Ballet soloist, Marianna Tsembenhoi, performing Sir Frederick Ashton’s ‘Shadow Variation’ from Ondine and Royal Ballet principals, Fumi Kaneko and Vadim Muntagirov, performing a pas de deux from Sylvia.

Photography by ASH.