The winners of The Margot Fonteyn International Ballet Competition 2026

Twelve finalists, selected amongst 71 candidates representing more than 19 countries, took to the stage for The Fonteyn final at the iconic London Coliseum, in the heart of the West End.

The distinguished panel of judges, comprising some of the most respected and celebrated figures in the dance world, including Dame Darcey Bussell DBE, Lynn Wallis OBE, Francesca Hayward, Kevin O’Hare CBE and Mthuthuzeli November, awarded four medals.

The audience had the chance to vote live for their favourite candidate, who won the Audience Choice Award. Two more prizes, the Choreographic Award and Musicality Award, were presented at the semi-finals on Friday 6 November.

Find out who took home the coveted Fonteyn medals and awards below.

Genee gold medal

Portrait of a young woman with light skin blue eyes and brown hair tied back wearing a purple strap top facing the camera with a gentle smile

Erin Alarie

Flag of Canada red vertical bands on the sides with a red maple leaf in the center on a white field

Age: 17

Nationality: Canadian

Silver medal

Close up portrait of a person with short black hair wearing a white shirt looking at the camera against a light neutral background

Tsz Ho Ting

Flag of China red field with one large yellow star and four smaller yellow stars in a semicircular arc to the left

Age: 18

Nationality: Chinese

Bronze medal

Portrait of a young Asian woman with slicked back hair wearing a light blue sleeveless dress and pearl earrings against a dark backdrop

Chi Kok Ip

Age: 18

Nationality: Chinese

Bronze medal

Smiling young woman with dark hair pulled back wearing a black strap top against a white background

Siena Murphy

Age: 17

Nationality: British

Choreographic award

Erin Alarie

Age: 17

Nationality: Canadian

Audience choice award

Chelsea Humm

Flag of New Zealand blue field with the Union Jack in the upper left corner and four red stars with white borders on the right

Age: 19

Nationality: New Zealander

Musicality award

Head and shoulders portrait of a young man smiling at the camera wearing a dark crew neck shirt against a white background

Gonzalo Toledo

Flag of Spain three horizontal stripes red yellow red with the national coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow stripe

Age: 19

Nationality: Spanish

A night of artistry and emotion in the heart of London’s West End

Formerly known as the Genée, The Fonteyn continues to evolve while remaining true to its founding spirit, celebrating the exceptional talent, artistry and dedication of young dancers from around the globe.

Throughout the week, candidates took part in a series of coaching sessions led by an esteemed faculty, including RAD Artistic Director Alexander Campbell, Carrie Taylor Johnson, Cira Robinson, Helen Crawford, Johannes Stepanek, Justine Berry and Ricardo Cervera.

This year, the RAD collaborated with The Frederick Ashton Foundation to bring Ashton’s choreography into the competition, allowing candidates to engage directly with his distinctive style, celebrated for its elegance, lyricism and expressive musicality.

As part of the final, dancers performed Classical Repertoire Variations and their own choreographic works, known as ‘Dancer’s Own’, alongside a variation by Sir Frederick Ashton. Throughout the week, they had worked closely with coaches Ricardo Cervera and Helen Crawford at RADance headquarters to prepare their Ashton variation.

The competition was accompanied by pianists Rebecca Leshures, Matthew Mills and Richard Norriss, with Cyrus Gabrusch, Martin Cleave, Jonathan Still, Jacob Krokodeilos and George Webster providing musical accompaniment for the warm-up classes.

Audiences were also treated to two special guest performances. Royal Ballet soloist Marianna Tsembenhoi performed Sir Frederick Ashton’s ‘Shadow Variation’ from Ondine, while Royal Ballet principals Fumi Kaneko and Vadim Muntagirov performed a pas de deux from Sylvia.

Take a look at the gallery below to discover some of the highlights from the evening.