PRESS RELEASE: RAD announces winners of its flagship event, The Fonteyn ballet competition

[Jan McNulty]

 

For immediate release

 

PRESS RELEASE

Date: 08/09/24

Royal Academy of Dance announces winners of The Margot Fonteyn International Ballet Competition 2024

 

 

Image credit: Martin Bell.

 

The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) is pleased to announce the medallists of The Margot Fonteyn International Ballet Competition 2024 final which took place at His Majesty’s Theatre in London this evening. The Fonteyn competition is the pinnacle for young dancers trained in the RAD syllabus, with previous medallists including the likes of Royal Ballet Principal dancers Steven McRae and Francesca Hayward.

 

After a week of coaching and semi-finals at the RAD’s headquarters in Wandsworth, the coveted Gold, Silver and Bronze medals were awarded to:

 

• Gold: Antonia Maria Cramb aged 18 from Scotland, trained by Kerry Livingstone and Faculty of Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, currently training at Royal Conservatoire of Scotland   
• Silver: Lydia Hough aged 18 from the UK, trained by Beverley Spencer, Sebnem Önal and Viviana Durante, currently training at English National Ballet School
• Bronze: Alfie-Lee Hall aged 18 from the UK, trained by Denise Whiteman and Elmhurst Ballet School Artistic Staff, currently training at Elmhurst Ballet School and Ernesto Young aged 17 from Australia, trained by Hilary Kaplan and Archibald McKenzie, currently training at Alegria Dance Studios.   

 

Lydia Hough received the Margot Fonteyn Audience Choice Award.

 

This week-long competition attracted over 60 candidates from 14 countries around the world, who each took part in coaching sessions by Isabel McMeekan, Samira Saidi and Darren Parrish, and semi-finals judged by a panel comprising Dame Darcey Bussell, President of the RAD, Alessandra Ferri OMRI, Artistic Director Designate of the Wiener Staatsballett and Jose Alves, former Senior Artist at Ballet Black. For the final, finalists performed before a panel comprising Bussell, Ferri and Kevin O’Hare, Director of The Royal Ballet.

   

“Congratulations to all The Fonteyn 2024 medallists and candidates. It’s been a true pleasure watching you grow throughout the week, and we hope that you have made memories to be treasured forever.

We would also like to send our warmest thanks to The Fonteyn 2024 esteemed judging panel, faculty and producer Lynn Wallis for joining us this week. Thank you for sharing your expertise and for supporting and inspiring all the candidates.” - Alexander Campbell Artistic Director of the RAD.

 

At the final, finalists performed Classical Repertoire Variations and their ‘Dancer’s Own’, a choreographed solo created by themselves, their teacher, or a peer, to a piece of music of their choice.

 

Finalists also performed newly choreographed commissioned variations created by The Fonteyn 2024 commissioned choreographer, Andrew McNicol, a freelance British choreographer and founding Artistic Director of McNicol Ballet Collective. Dancers performed either the Holberg Variation or Granados Variation.

 

As well as The Fonteyn finalists taking to the stage, audiences were treated to a performance from Northern Ballet dancers Harris Beattie and Saeka Shirai will perform an iconic pas de deux from Northern Ballet’s production of Romeo & Juliet.

 

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 launchpad for a professional career, The Fonteyn offers aspiring dancers the unique opportunity to work with world-renowned choreographers and professionals, as well as the chance to perform on an international stage. In addition to the medals and cash prizes all candidates will have the opportunity to be considered for a variety of tuition scholarship opportunities from renowned dance schools across the globe.

23 - 27 October 202

More than a dance competition, all candidates taking part in this year’s The Fonteyn have been considered for a variety of tuition scholarship opportunities from renowned dance schools across the globe. Scholarships will be awarded in due course.

 

 

Notes to Editors

 

About the Royal Academy of Dance

 

The RAD is one of the world’s most influential dance education and training organisations. With its global headquarters in London, the RAD works locally and around the world, to bring dance to diverse communities, widen access to dance and to share the benefits and wellbeing that dance brings. With a strong global membership presence in over 85 countries, each year around 250,000 dancers learn the RAD syllabus and take exams. Over 1,000 students are enrolled in our in-person and distance-learning dance teacher training programmes. The RAD empowers people through dance education and enjoyment and believes that ‘every body’ should have the opportunity to learn to dance.

[Balletbloke]

Coincidentally, I just happened to be seated next to a classmate of the winner, who was naturally ecstatic when her friend won!

[bangorballetboy]

A terrific set of finalists!

 

 

[Jan McNulty]

Fabulous photograph @bangorballetboy.  Thanks for sharing.

[Peanut68]

3 UK nationals & UK trained as medal winners 👏👏👏

[mart]

Not a very high standard  this year especially from the men 

 

[alison]

21 hours ago, Peanut68 said:

3 UK nationals & UK trained as medal winners 👏👏👏

 

Two "from the UK" and one "from Scotland". Interesting phrasing.

[taxi4ballet]

26 minutes ago, alison said:

 

Two "from the UK" and one "from Scotland". Interesting phrasing.

Yes, I noticed that too. 

[Pas de Quatre]

Have I missed it somehow - but where were the winners trained? RAD made a big thing about how important teachers are, in a generalised way, but didn't mention these dancers schools.

[Kerfuffle]

Gold winner is at the Royal Scottish Conservatoire, silver from ENBS (previously RBS) bronze winners were from Elmhurst and Australia. To qualify I think you need to pass Intermediate, Advanced 1 and Advanced 2 so a lot of those qualifications are only an available if you attend a school that teaches those grades. A lot of vocational students wouldn’t qualify unless their focus has been RAD. 

[Peanut68]

Good point Kerfuffle…

Our experience of one school was indeed to push through RAD vocational grades…. But a change of school who seemed less exam focussed & (kind of held them back as they were younger than their current students doing the grade) & then covid (sigh) got in the way & it  meant too many years had gone by & boredom set in so Adv 2 never got done….shame really as think this comp when young enough would’ve been good for them…

I kind of get the idea of having a qualifying criteria (& it’s an RAD comp so all about promoting studying RAD syllabus of course)but Covid I’m sure affected some would be entrants & meant they didn’t do relevant exam….

As also with others such as those at lower school RBS…. In order to get their RAD they’d have to do (frowned on)  external lessons. Those who joined later of course may have completed them before joining upper years. I almost wonder if this - or a parallel competition?- should be for non-vocational training dancers but then that too would see a real mix as training intensively as favoured in some countries actually sees more advanced at younger ages dancers….

Sorry…I’m rambling! 

Edited Wednesday at 17:29 by Peanut68

[Pas de Quatre]

To enter the Fonteyn competition you must be age 15-19 and have passed RAD Adv 2 with Distinction. To enter Phylis Bedells Bursary you have to be under 17 and have passed Adv 1 with Distinction. Vocational exams in RAD have to be taken and passed in order, Intermediate,  Adv 1 and then Adv 2. Many Vocational schools used to offer them as an optional extra with classes outside their normal training, often on Saturdays. These days fewer Vocational schools do these exams as it simply takes up too much time! 

[taxi4ballet]

It would be good to know where they trained and who taught them before they went into full-time vocational training. 

[Kerfuffle]

From what I remember RAD vocational exams are marked in such a prescriptive way that every detail has to be perfect to get a high score. The competition itself is such a wonderful  opportunity to dance in front of really eminent judges. Tring and Elmhurst both have students that qualified for the competition. @Peanut68 Covid was one reason my DD didn’t continue beyond Intermediate, that and switching schools/method of training. 

[Sophoife]

On 09/09/2024 at 16:14, Jan McNulty said:

• Gold: Antonia Maria Cramb aged 18 from Scotland, trained by Kerry Livingstone and Faculty of Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, currently training at Royal Conservatoire of Scotland   
• Silver: Lydia Hough aged 18 from the UK, trained by Beverley Spencer, Sebnem Önal and Viviana Durante, currently training at English National Ballet School
• Bronze: Alfie-Lee Hall aged 18 from the UK, trained by Denise Whiteman and Elmhurst Ballet School Artistic Staff, currently training at Elmhurst Ballet School and Ernesto Young aged 17 from Australia, trained by Hilary Kaplan and Archibald McKenzie, currently training at Alegria Dance Studios.   

 

On 12/09/2024 at 00:43, Pas de Quatre said:

Have I missed it somehow - but where were the winners trained? RAD made a big thing about how important teachers are, in a generalised way, but didn't mention these dancers schools.

 

15 hours ago, taxi4ballet said:

It would be good to know where they trained and who taught them before they went into full-time vocational training. 

 

Your answers, @Pas de Quatre and @taxi4ballet, are in the press release as quoted by @Jan McNulty.

[Mumofballetmaddaughter]

43 minutes ago, Sophoife said:

 

 

 

Your answers, @Pas de Quatre and @taxi4ballet, are in the press release as quoted by @Jan McNulty.

The question was where the dancers had trained prior to vocational training and I think (happy to be corrected if wrong) the teachers listed are part of the faculties of their respective full time schools. 

[Kerfuffle]

49 minutes ago, Mumofballetmaddaughter said:

The question was where the dancers had trained prior to vocational training and I think (happy to be corrected if wrong) the teachers listed are part of the faculties of their respective full time schools. 

From my knowledge  the teachers mentioned  aren’t just those at the upper schools that the students attend. The programme names who coached them at upper school for the variations plus often the teacher  taught them RAD syllabus. What the programme doesn’t do is name the recreational dance school maybe because in some cases this was done privately. 
 

[Sophoife]

I stand corrected, @Mumofballetmaddaughter - @taxi4ballet did indeed ask where the prizewinners trained before full-time vocational school, although @Pas de Quatre asked a more general training question, at least to my reading.

 

My apologies to the Forum members concerned.

[Pas de Quatre]

This often happens on professional dancers bios - they mention the prestigious schools who put final polish on their training, but rarely the hardworking teachers or schools who built the foundations that made them good enough to go into Vocational training.

[Kerfuffle]

I guess that for those leaving recreational schools at 11 it’s fairly ancient history in terms of their CV and not so relevant. For those going to upper school they might credit a particular teacher/s who helped them get there - it’s often a case of more private training. 

[taxi4ballet]

10 hours ago, Sophoife said:

 

 

 

Your answers, @Pas de Quatre and @taxi4ballet, are in the press release as quoted by @Jan McNulty.

No they are not. The details given are where they are currently being trained, not who trained them in the RAD syllabus before they got there.

 

In the case of both RCS and ENBS in particular, they are both upper schools only, and I would be interested to know where the dancers trained before they went into full time upper school.  Chances are they studied the RAD syllabus for a number of years at their local dance school and had already passed most of the vocational exams before starting at upper school. It would be nice if those dance teachers and schools also got some recognition.

 

Some of the students at my dd's upper school for instance only went into full-time training at 16+ and some had already passed Adv 1 or 2 before joining.

 

[Pas de Quatre]

Even if dancers go to vocational school for Yr 7, they will have spent years with a local teacher. Many dancers start age 3 so that would be 8 years! Early years teaching is just as important in dance as in normal academic schooling. A good teacher will identify and draw out talent, a bad teacher may ruin the prospects of a dancer.

 

The same applies for Upper School too!

Edited Friday at 18:26 by Pas de Quatre
Add sentence

[Kerfuffle]

The ENBS dancer was at WL and one of the teachers  mentioned is not a member of staff at ENBS. Other students I know of mentioned the staff plus also whoever had trained them in RAD vocational grades. While early years are important the qualifying   exams that need to be passed can only  taken from at least age 11 (which coincides with year 7). 

[taxi4ballet]

22 hours ago, Kerfuffle said:

While early years are important the qualifying   exams that need to be passed can only  taken from at least age 11 (which coincides with year 7). 

Yes I know.

 

I also know that a number of students don't go into full-time vocational training until 16+, by which time it would be rather late for them to learn RAD Inter, Adv 1 and Adv 2 and take all the exams whilst in their first year or two of upper school, which is rather full-on anyway. My DD did the entire set of RAD exams from primary up to Adv 2 before she even went into full-time training, and I'm sure others do similar. Those teachers do deserve the recognition for their efforts, without which the dancer wouldn't have got into vocational training in the first place. If you get my drift.

[Kerfuffle]

Any teacher that gets a student up to that standard does deserve recognition, I agree. The dancers  I know who were in the Fonteyn all mentioned the teachers individually who got them through RAD exams whether at vocational or non vocational, they just didn’t name the schools. They also mention where they are training as they get coached there for the variations in the competition.