SOUTH AFRICAN INTERNATIONAL BALLET COMPETITION to Feature Star-Studded International Jury at Artscape

The 13th South African International Ballet Competition (SAIBC) launches next month at Artscape and a prestigious jury has been announced. has begun ahead of the prestigious event that will take place once again at the iconic Artscape in Cape Town from 4 to 6 August 2026. 

After the recent Johannesburg Regional SAIBC competition, attention now turns to the SAIBC Semi-Finals and Finals, which will take place at the Artscape in Cape Town next month from 4 to 6 August. The event will welcome an esteemed international adjudication panel comprising distinguished performers, educators and coaches from around the world. They include Kazakhstan-born Sergey Usanov, an internationally respected ballet teacher, coach and adjudicator; Australian Callum Hastie, Ballet Master of the Youth Company at the Vienna State Opera Ballet Academy and a former dancer with leading companies in South Africa, Australia and Germany; Kate Coyne (United Kingdom), Artistic Director and Professional Training Lead at London's Central School of Ballet and an award-winning former contemporary dancer; American Lorelei Bair, an acclaimed ballet teacher, coach and international adjudicator renowned for mentoring young dancers; Igor Kolb (Belarus), former Principal Dancer of the world-renowned Mariinsky Ballet and now a sought-after international coach and teacher;  Ariel Mejic, an internationally active ballet teacher, coach and adjudicator with extensive experience working with emerging dancers through prestigious competitions and training programmes and South African-born ballet artist Thoriso Magongwa is an internationally acclaimed dancer, choreographer, ballet master and arts communicator whose career spans more than two decades. 

The SAIBC, founded by Dirk Badenhorst, Artistic Director of Mzansi Ballet, remains committed to nurturing emerging talent and creating opportunities for young dancers to excel. The only event of its kind on the African continent, it serves as a powerful reminder that South Africa's dance future is bright, as a new generation of young artists prepare to take centre stage in one of the country's premier ballet events. “The South African International Ballet Competition is also proud to have been accepted to become part of the International Federation of Ballet Competitions, an inclusion based upon the stature and calibre of our jury members since our inception, as well as the high standard of South African and international competitors. It is such a great honour to be invited to be part of this exclusive club of international ballet competitions and we celebrate this with the 13th International Ballet Competition,” said Badenhorst.

The competition divisions are 9 to 12 (Scholar), 13 to 16 (Junior) and 17 to 22 (Senior) and audiences can expect vituoso displays from South African and International dancers in both Classical Ballet and Contemporary categories, alongside exciting duets, trios, and group performances, as well as the choreographic division.

Visitors travelling to Cape Town for the competition can take advantage of a special accommodation offer at Onomo Hotel Cape Town Foreshore, with rates from R800 per bed per night, including breakfast. For reservations, contact Chrishone Nel at Reservations.foreshore@onomohotel.com or on (+27) 21 200 5397. 

The closing Gala on the final evening will showcase the 2026 winners alongside remarkable professional dancers from both South Africa and abroad, an unmissable event filled with outstanding performances that highlight the best in ballet!

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