South African International Ballet Competition returns to Cape Town

Cape Town’s South African International Ballet Competition will bring dancers, judges and ballet supporters to Artscape Theatre from 4 to 6 August 2026, with the city once again hosting one of the continent’s biggest dance stages.

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Artscape describes the event as ‘the largest Ballet Competition in Africa’, while the competition’s official site says it has become the foremost classical ballet competition on the continent.

This year’s jury includes experts from Kazakhstan, Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Belarus, South Africa and other international dance centres. Artscape’s programme lists judges from South Korea, the United States of America, Romania/Germany, Belarus, the United Kingdom, Austria/Australia and Russia.

Founder Dirk Badenhorst said it was ‘such a great honour to be invited to be part of this exclusive club of international ballet competitions’. The event will feature dancers in the Scholar, Junior and Senior divisions, giving young performers a platform to test themselves in front of an experienced panel.

For Cape Town audiences, the competition offers more than polished technique. It also places local talent in the same spotlight as international peers, with 16-year-old Jayden Samuels among the South African dancers expected to take part.

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Picture: Tessa Charles / Pexels