The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) has announced that its flagship event, The Margot Fonteyn International Ballet Competition, will come to London from 1 – 8 September.
The Fonteyn (previously known as The Genée) is one of the oldest and most prestigious ballet competitions in the world, representing the pinnacle of achievement for young dancers trained in the RAD syllabus.
Beginning in 1931, the competition has toured the globe and is dedicated to promoting dance, providing educational experiences and recognising excellence in young ballet dancers internationally. A launch pad for a professional career, past winners of The Genée and The Fonteyn – including Steven McRae and Francesca Hayward – have become professional dancers with companies worldwide and enjoyed long-lasting careers in the arts.
Tim Arthur, Chief Executive of the RAD, said, “The Fonteyn is such a special event loved by so many people across the international dance industry. Each year, we bring together dancers from around the globe for a week of dance that they’ll remember and cherish forever. We’re delighted to be putting on this event in London this year and look forward to creating even more Fonteyn memories.”
The competition begins on 1 September, with coaching days kicking off the week. Three days of semi-finals then follow, hosted at RAD’s state-of-the-art dance studios in its HQ. The semi-finals will see candidates take part in a judged class on stage and performing one variation from the Classical Repertoire list. Candidates also perform a ‘Dancer’s Own’ piece – a newly choreographed solo created by themselves, their teacher or a peer, to a piece of music of their choice. After the semi-finals, the grand final will be held at His Majesty’s Theatre, London on 8 September.
During The Fonteyn 2024 competition, candidates will work with a top choreographer on a variation commissioned for the competition. The finalists will perform this at the final, where it will have its premiere. Last year’s commissioned choreographer was The Royal Ballet first soloist Valentino Zucchetti who choreographed Jeunesse.
In 2023, RAD was able to give bursaries to around a quarter of The Fonteyn candidates. This scheme provides vital support for young dancers facing additional barriers to achieving their dreams. Bursary applications for The Fonteyn 2024 are now open and close on Friday 1 March.
Candidate applications for The Fonteyn 2024 competition open on Friday March 1 and close on Friday 31 May.
Ticket sales for public will open in the next few months.
You can find out more at The Fonteyn website: www.thefonteyn.org.
