About the Genée

The Genée International Ballet Competition, named after RAD’s first president Dame Adeline Genée DBE, is our flagship annual event.

Known simply as ‘the Genée,’ it is one of the most prestigious ballet competitions in the world, attracting the finest young dancers trained in the RAD syllabus, from around the globe. Candidates receive a unique opportunity to work with renowned choreographers and teachers for five days before performing at the semi-finals, and then the final, where they compete for a range of medals.

History

The competition started in 1931, when the Adeline Genée Gold Medal was awarded to Felicity Garratt. Other medals were later added: the silver (1934), bronze (1956), and gold and silver for male dancers (1938). The Genée has taken place almost every year since, and is now a truly global event.

In 2002 the RAD took the decision to hold the competition outside London for the first time, taking it to Australia where Sydney Opera House played host to a record number of candidates. Following that success, the Genée has now been hosted around the world:

  • Birmingham (2203)
  • Athens (2004)
  • Hong Kong (2006)
  • Toronto (2008)
  • Singapore (2009)
  • London (2010)
  • South Africa (2011)
  • Wellington (2012)
  • Glasgow (2013)
  • Antwerp (2014)
  • London (2015)
  • Sydney (2016)
  • Lisbon (2017)
  • Hong Kong (2018)

A stepping stone to a career

Past Genée medalists have gone on to work for some of the best ballet companies around the world:

  • The Royal Ballet
  • Royal Ballet of Flanders
  • The Mariinsky Ballet
  • American Ballet Theatre
  • National Ballet of Canada
  • Birmingham Royal Ballet
  • Estonia National Ballet
  • Northern Ballet
  • Australian Ballet
  • English National Ballet
  • San Francisco Ballet
  • The Hong Kong Ballet
Past Genée Medalists