There are certain names in ballet that carry a particular weight. Frederick Ashton is one of them. In 2026, his work will move directly into the hands, and bodies, of the next generation.
The Royal Academy of Dance has announced a new partnership with the Frederick Ashton Foundation, bringing Ashton’s choreography into the heart of the Margot Fonteyn International Ballet Competition. For a competition already steeped in history, this is an exciting moment in time, one that draws a clear line between heritage and lived practice.
This year, candidates will learn an Ashton variation as part of the competition process, with access to coaching resources including filmed sessions with an Ashton répétiteur. It places dancers in direct dialogue with a style often admired from afar, asking them to navigate its musical sensitivity, its detail, and its unmistakable phrasing from within.
Named after Margot Fonteyn- the RAD's longest serving President, the competition has long stood as a marker of excellence within the RAD’s global network. The connection between Fonteyn and Ashton is a foundational one. Their creative partnership shaped the identity of British ballet, and continues to echo through the repertoire today.
“This partnership is a beautiful tribute to the legacy of both Dame Margot Fonteyn and Sir Frederick Ashton,” said Darcey Bussell, President of the RAD. “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.”
For Artistic Director Alexander Campbell, the collaboration signals a moment of expansion. “By bringing Ashton’s iconic choreography to our candidates, we are connecting the next generation of dancers to one of the founders of British ballet. I can’t wait to see the dancers embrace Ashton’s choreography and perform it on a world stage.”
The sense of occasion is echoed by Jeanetta Laurence, Chair of the Foundation. “Frederick Ashton and Margot Fonteyn shared a remarkable creative partnership that helped to define the distinctive voice of British ballet… This collaboration will place his work in the practice studios and ambitions of young dancers around the world, allowing them to engage with this heritage as part of their own artistic journey.”
Founded in 1931, The Fonteyn (formerly known at The Genée) has grown into one of the most respected platforms for young ballet dancers, offering a rare combination of coaching, performance and international visibility. Its alumni trace pathways into companies across the world. What this partnership introduces is something more specific: a deeper encounter with style, lineage and authorship at a formative stage.
The Frederick Ashton Foundation, established in 2011, has been central to preserving and transmitting Ashton’s ballets, ensuring they are coached and staged with integrity. Bringing that expertise into the competition framework expands its reach in a tangible way, placing Ashton’s work not only on stages, but in the daily training of dancers who will carry it forward.
The Fonteyn 2026 will take place in London from 31 October to 8 November, with semi-finals at RAD headquarters in Wandsworth and the final at the London Coliseum. Applications open on 13 April.