The Royal Ballet has announced company promotions, appointments and departures for the 2025/26 season, with two Australian dancers receiving notable recognition.
Amelia Townsend has been promoted to Soloist, marking an important step in her career. Townsend recently captivated audiences in London in her debut as the Mad Hatter in Christopher Wheeldon's Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Her promotion reflects a season of distinctive performances and growing artistic strength.
Also featured in the announcement is LilySophia Dashwood, who will join the company as part of the Aud Jebsen Young Dancers Programme. A recent graduate of The Royal Ballet School, Dashwood is one of seven dancers selected for the 2025/26 intake. The programme offers a year-long contract to support early-career dancers as they work alongside the Royal Ballet’s corps de ballet.
Director of The Royal Ballet Kevin O’Hare said, "I am sure audiences will join me in congratulating our Royal Ballet dancers for a wonderful Season. Their artistry and commitment combine to make some of the most dazzling theatrical experiences for us all."
Townsend is one of five dancers promoted to Soloist for the upcoming season, alongside Isabel Lubach, Viola Pantuso, Julia Roscoe and Harris Bell. The First Artist ranks have also expanded, with Olivia Findlay, Ella Newton Severgnini, Hanna Park, Maddison Pritchard, Ginevra Zambon, Denilson Almeida and Caspar Lench all stepping into the new role.
The announcement also confirmed the next group of Aud Jebsen Young Dancers, with Dashwood joined by Aurora Chinchilla, Shani Moran-Simmonds, Yuki Nagayasu, Amos Child, Tristan-Ian Massa and Joe Parkinson. Six dancers from the previous cohort have now been appointed as full company members: Francesca Lloyd, Katie Robertson, Rebecca Myles Stewart, Ravi Cannonier-Watson, Emile Gooding and Alejandro Muñoz.
Among several significant departures is First Soloist Itziar Mendizabal, who leaves the company after a 15-year career to take up a teaching position at The Royal Ballet School. Known for her dramatic range and command of character roles, Mendizabal has delivered acclaimed performances in Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, Mayerling and The Two Pigeons, among others. Also leaving is Soloist Romany Pajdak, whose 21-year career with the company has included roles in works by Ashton, MacMillan and McGregor, as well as the filmed production of Sea of Troubles. Pajdak will relocate to South Africa to join her husband, Dane Hurst, Artistic Director of Joburg Ballet.
Soloist Benjamin Ella will retire as a performer in December 2025 after 16 years with the company. Known for his range and musicality, Ella has performed in everything from classical roles such as Albrecht in Giselle and Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet to contemporary works by Wayne McGregor, Crystal Pite and Joseph Toonga. He has also contributed choreographic work to the company’s Draft Works programme.
First Artist Katharina Nikelski will take a year’s leave to pursue an MBA, while Prix de Lausanne dancer Airi Kobayashi departs to join Birmingham Royal Ballet.
Artistic appointments for the new season include Zhan Atymtayev, who joins as Répétiteur from the Royal Swedish Ballet. The music department sees the retirement of long-serving pianist Timothy Qualtrough after 33 years, although he will continue to work with the company in a freelance capacity. Constant Lambert Fellow Yi Wei, Jette Parker Ballet Conductor José Salazar and Associate Pianist Wing Tung Fan will also depart at the end of the season.
Taking up new music roles are Subin Kim as Constant Lambert Fellow, Giovanni Fanizza as Jette Parker Ballet Conductor and Anastasia Matkovskaia as Associate Pianist. Christina Cefai has been appointed as Ballet Data Scientist in a new healthcare role, and Dr Moiz Moghal joins as Medical Advisor following the departure of Dr Patrick O’Halloran.
Within company administration, Administrative Producer Ania Kapsza and Assistant Company Manager Natalie Holdys will leave their roles at the end of the current season. Ted Blackburn will join as Assistant to the Company Manager in July 2025. Deputy Stage Manager Jaclyn Fulton will take a one-year sabbatical to pursue a Master’s in Creative Producing at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
The breadth of these changes reflects the evolution of one of the world’s leading ballet companies. For Australian audiences, the presence and progression of dancers such as Townsend and Dashwood continues to highlight the strength of Australia’s contribution to the global dance landscape.
Stay tuned for an upcoming feature on Benjamin Ella and his stellar career with the Royal Ballet.