MEET THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE FONTEYN 2024
A panel of expert and independent judges
Each year we recruit a panel of judges from across the industry, each chosen for their expertise and insight to select the deserving winners of each category*. Here's this year's panel! Read more about their amazing careers.
Judges for the Choreographic and Musicality Awards
generously supported by the Lynn Wallis Bursary Fund
"We are absolutely delighted that this distinguished faculty and panel of Judges have taken time away from their very busy schedules to be with us for the Margot Fonteyn International Ballet Competition 2024. Their combined expertise and knowledge will be an invaluable resource for the participants and we look forward to working with them to provide an exciting and rewarding experience for all involved."
- Artistic Director Alexander Campbell and Lynn Wallis Producer of The Fonteyn
Commissioned Choreographer: Andrew McNicol
Andrew McNicol is a freelance British choreographer and founding Artistic Director of McNicol Ballet Collective. Noted as “a man on a mission. One of the UK’s most talented young choreographers, and already with a large portfolio of successes." Backtrack, Deborah Weiss 2023.
Andrew has choreographed internationally including for Joffrey Ballet (Chicago), The Royal Ballet (London), Royal Ballet of Flanders (Belgium), BalletX (Philadelphia), twice
for New York Choreographic Institute (New York), Tulsa Ballet (Oklahoma), National Ballet Portugal (2024), Jacob’s Pillow (USA), Junior Ballet Antwerp (Belgium), as well as for the Royal Ballet School, English National Ballet School (currently Artistic Associate) among others.
McNicol's work stands out for its poetic beauty and deep connection between movement and music. His ability to blend the classical ballet vocabulary of his training with a refreshing modern sensibility, results in works that exude an emotional physicality and inventiveness. Drawn from human relationships, McNicol brings fresh impulses to both narrative and musically driven works for the purpose of expressing the human experience.
In 2021, he launched his own company, McNicol Ballet Collective, to create new ballet-based work with a collective of international artists “a daring project from McNicol... that of course, only adds to the excitement.” Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper. Most recently, the Collective presented Devotions, Three Modern Ballets in 2023, to critical acclaim at the Linbury Theatre ROH and across the UK. “His dance, and his dancers, come loaded with artistry.” David Mead, Seeing Dance, 2023.
Photo: Yellowbelly
A world class faculty to coach our candidates
Meet our Faculty, Fonteyn Producer, Benesh Choreologist, and Pianists who will work with all candidates during The Fonteyn week 1-8 September 2024*.
Photo: Emily Nuttall
Guest Performance at the final:
Harris Beattie & Saeka Shirai from Northern Ballet
Harris Beattie and Saeka Shirai will perform the iconic balcony scene where Romeo (Harris) declares his eternal love for Juliet (Saeka). Adapted by Christopher Gable CBE and Massimo Moricone, Romeo & Juliet is one of Northern Ballet’s most beloved and critically acclaimed productions, which is currently touring the UK.
Harris Beattie is an RAD alumni and previously took part and won gold medal plus the choreographic and audience choice award at the Genée International Ballet Competition in 2017. He was the first person in the history of the competition to win all three. Harris Beattie also won the Royal Academy of Dance Phyllis Bedells Bursary in 2015. Last month, he was promoted to Junior Soloist at Northern Ballet.
Saeka Shirai is from Osaka, Japan, with extensive training and performance experience. She trained at the Yuki Ballet Studio in Japan and further honed her skills at Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet School. Her professional career includes four years with Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet and two years with Poznan Opera Ballet. In 2016, she won a silver medal at the prestigious Varna International Ballet Competition.
*Line-up subject to change