The 2026 Claudia Dean Scholarships unfolded across 11–16 April at the Thomas Dixon Centre, bringing together a large field of young dancers for a program that continues to expand in both scale and scope.
Now spanning both classical and contemporary streams, the event opened with the launch of its contemporary division (11–12 April), a two-day program of classes, solo performance and finals, before the established classical competition followed from 13–16 April, combining judged classwork, classical variations and a multi-round finals process. Across the week, more than 100 dancers progressed to the semi-final stage in the classical divisions, alongside the newly introduced contemporary program running in parallel .
Designed as both a competition and a training environment, the Scholarships continue to connect young dancers with senior industry figures, offering performance experience alongside access to feedback, masterclasses and international training opportunities.
Classical Results
Level 1 (Junior)
Winner: Alessi Mahasura Brahmantya
Runner-up: Peyton Lewis
Level 2 (Pre-Intermediate)
Winner: Milla Calyk
Runner-up: Ivy Noonan
Level 3 (Intermediate)
Winner: Maci Smith
Runner-up: Xirui Xu
Level 4 (Senior)
Winner: Anna Stephensen
Runner-up: Wendy Tian
Special Awards (Classical)
Prue Bowen Award: Elodie Lamont
Denise Dean Award: Ava Haskett
Claudia Dean Award: Maggie Green
Audience Vote Award: Femka Murphy Vormer
Contemporary Awards
Level 1
Winner: Allegra O’Leary
Level 2
Winner: Victoria Harper
Level 3
Winner: Stella Jackson
Level 4
Winner: Frances Ng
Special Awards (Contemporary)
Denise Dean Award: Annabelle Howison
Claudia Dean Award: Annie Weng
Alongside prize money, the Scholarships continue to function as a point of connection to professional training pathways, with dancers awarded opportunities with institutions including The Royal Ballet School, Queensland Ballet Academy, The Australian Ballet School, New Zealand School of Dance and English National Ballet School . In the contemporary stream, selected dancers were also offered secondment opportunities with Sydney Dance Company’s Pre-Professional Program .
The event was adjudicated by senior industry figures who also contributed to the training component of the week through classes, coaching and masterclasses. The classical program consisted of Paul Kay, Ivan Gil-Ortega, Lisa Pavane and Garry Trinder, while the contemporary division was adjudicated by Natalie Weir and Victor Zarello, with coaching by Sam Dominic.
Congratulations to all winners and participants recognised across the 2026 Claudia Dean Scholarships.