A new collaboration between the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) and the Frederick Ashton Foundation will bring a deeper focus on historical repertoire to this year’s Margot Fonteyn International Ballet Competition, widely known as The Fonteyn. (Previously known as The Genée, The Fonteyn was named after longtime RAD president Dame Margot Fonteyn and represents the pinnacle of achievement for young dancers trained in the RAD syllabus.)
The partnership centers on integrating the work of Sir Frederick Ashton into the competition experience, allowing participants to study and perform the distinctive choreography that helped define the British ballet tradition.
As a key element of the initiative, each candidate will learn an Ashton variation, with exclusive access to a film of the solo being coached by an Ashton répétiteur, along with other resources from the Ashton foundation.
Leadership from both organizations framed the collaboration as being a way to sustain artistic heritage while supporting the next generation. In a recent press release, Dame Darcey Bussell, DBE, president of the RAD, said: “This partnership is a beautiful tribute to the legacy of both Dame Margot Fonteyn and Sir Frederick Ashton, a choreographer who contributed so much to the unique style of British ballet. By incorporating Ashton’s choreography into the competition, the RAD and the Foundation are ensuring Sir Fred’s genius is experienced by the next generation of young dancers worldwide.”
Alexander Campbell, artistic director of Education & Participation at the RAD, added: “I can’t wait to see the dancers embrace Ashton’s choreography and perform it on a world stage.”
Jeanetta Laurence, chair of the Ashton foundation, also stated: “The collaboration will place [Ashton’s] work in the practice studios and ambitions of young dancers around the world, allowing them to engage with this heritage not just as history, but as part of their own artistic journey.”
Scheduled to take place in London from October 31 through November 8, 2026, the competition will include coaching sessions and semifinals at RAD headquarters, culminating in a final performance at the London Coliseum in the West End. Candidate applications are now open, with ticketing details to follow later in the year.
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