Sixteen young dancers have been selected to compete in the finals of the 2026 Sydney Eisteddfod Junior and Senior Ballet Scholarships, culminating in performances at the Sydney Opera House on Sunday 2 August.
Following the preliminary stages of one of Sydney Eisteddfod’s most anticipated annual dance events, eight finalists have been named in each scholarship. They will perform as part of the Sydney Eisteddfod Ballet Gala in the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House, where the two competitions will form the centrepiece of a broader celebration of emerging ballet talent.
The eight Senior Ballet Scholarship finalists are:
Luke Antcliffe
Jessica Cooper
Florence Hanks Rutton
Lewis Nicholson
Frances Ng
Holly Robinson
Anna Stephens
India-Rose Macè
The Senior finalists were selected following a live class adjudicated by Olivia Bell and Linda Gamblin, with Nicky Gattorna as class teacher and Grant Kennedy as pianist.
The eight Junior Ballet Scholarship finalists are:
Oliver Austin
Ava Lingxi Meng
Samuel McGuire
Ava Radojevic
Sophie Simmonds
Maci Smith
Harriet Thomas
Xirui Xu
The Junior Ballet Scholarship was adjudicated by Jessica Kenway and Damien Smith.
Reaching the final represents a significant milestone for each dancer, reflecting the years of training, discipline and determination required to progress through the competition. At the Sydney Opera House, they will perform before leading figures in the profession at an important stage in their development.
Sydney Eisteddfod’s Ballet Scholarships have a distinguished history. The inaugural scholarship was won by Marilyn Jones, while former winners and finalists include Claudia Dean, Amelia Townsend, Stephen McRae, Alexander Campbell and Callie Roberts. Harrison Lee, recently promoted to Soloist at The Royal Ballet, won the scholarship in 2015.
Across generations, hundreds of former finalists have gone on to establish careers in ballet and the wider dance industry, both in Australia and overseas.
Sydney Eisteddfod General Manager Heather Campbell said this year’s Gala would bring together many strands of the organisation’s dance community.
“This year's Ballet Gala is a celebration of the Sydney Eisteddfod dance community. Having had the privilege of watching the dancers, finalists and groups perform over recent months, it has been a joy to witness their talent, dedication and artistry firsthand.
“Bringing them together in the inaugural Future Stars Défilé, our outstanding scholarship finals and guest performances from studios that have excelled throughout this year's festival creates a truly special evening. That each of these performances has been choreographed by Sydney Eisteddfod alumni is a powerful reminder that today's participants are following in the footsteps of artists who continue to shape Australia's dance landscape.”
This year’s Gala reflects some of those continuing connections. Five of the 16 finalists are taught at Dance North Academy by Adam Blanch, himself a Sydney Eisteddfod Ballet Scholarship finalist in 1998.
The Gala program will feature guest performances from four schools:
Ablaze Dance Academy: Contemporary Group (14 years)
Dance North Academy: Lyrical Group (12 years)
Studi-O Dance: National Character
The McDonald College: Classical Group (10 years)
The guest performances add another layer to the Gala’s intergenerational connections with Sydney Eisteddfod. Choreographers Zoe Jones of Ablaze Dance Academy, Amanda Whittaker of Dance North Academy and Sarah Minol of The McDonald College are all Sydney Eisteddfod alumni. Karen Barker-Rogers, who choreographed the National Character work performed by Studi-O Dance, won the Sydney Eisteddfod Mary Gunn Scholarship in 1972.
Opening the event will be the inaugural Future Stars Défilé, presented by Bloch. Choreographed by Emma Sandall, it will bring together young dancers from invited schools and give them the opportunity to perform on the Concert Hall stage.
Sandall also has a long history with Sydney Eisteddfod, having won both the Pavlova Challenge Trophy and the Tessa Maunder Most Promising Girl, 15 Years and Under, in 1990 and again in 1992.
These connections were not the basis on which the artists or schools were selected, but they are perhaps unsurprising. Dance has a way of creating long arcs, as young competitors become professionals, teachers and choreographers, passing their experience and love of the art form on to those now standing where they once did.
The 2026 Sydney Eisteddfod Ballet Gala will be held at the Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House, on Sunday 2 August. Tickets go on sale on Friday 17 July.