We are pleased to announce the return of the Imperial Classical Ballet Awards for 2026.

• UK entries will offer six sections, Grades/Class Examinations 1, 2, 3, 4; a combined section for Grades 5 and 6 / Intermediate Foundation (Class Examinations 5–8); and an Intermediate section. Online heats will be followed by a live final on Sunday 7 June at the Central School of Ballet, London.
• International entries will offer six sections, Grades/Class Examinations 1, 2, 3, 4; a combined section for Grades 5 and 6 / Intermediate Foundation (Class Examinations 5–8); and an Intermediate section. Online heats will be followed by an online international final.
• NEW - Global Advanced 1 & Advanced 2 entries —for both UK and international— will take part in online heats and online global finals.

All competitors will learn artistic and musical enchaînements specially choreographed for the event by the ICB Faculty.

Please note:

• Entries from England must select the UK Heats if they wish to be considered for the UK live final
• Entries from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland and all countries other than England have a choice. Please select EITHER the International heats for the online international final OR select UK heats for the live UK final. Participation in the live UK final will require travel to the UK.
• All Global Advanced 1 & Advanced 2 entries must select this combined section, regardless of location, whether based in the UK or internationally.
  
  

Entry tickets are available for purchase from Tuesday 13 January until Tuesday 17 March. Teachers can enter as many students as they wish, however each student can be entered once only.

Upon submission of the entry fee, teachers will receive details of the enchaînements their competitors are required to learn. Video/s of entries must be uploaded by Tuesday 17 March (details of where to upload your videos will be included on your order confirmation from Eventbrite). Therefore, teachers are advised to book as early as possible to ensure that they have enough time to review and teach the enchaînements.

A team of expert adjudicators will select all finalists, with teachers notified of the UK finalists on Tuesday 14 April. UK finalists will attend a live finals event at Central School of Ballet, London and bookings for this event will open on Wednesday 15 April.

Teachers of International and Global Advanced entries, will be notified of finalists on Wednesday 15 April, winners will be announced via showreel on the ISTD website and ICB Facebook on Friday 5 June. This showreel will also be screened at the live UK Finals on Sunday 7 June. 

Competitors must be working at the Grade or Class Examination level OR may have passed the Grade/level exam AFTER 1 September 2025 but NOT the next Grade or level higher. For combined sections, competitors can be working at EITHER Grade or level.

Competitors must be in the correct age group and have been with their current ICB teacher from at least 1 September 2025. Teachers will be asked to provide each competitor’s exam PIN number. 

Should a competitor’s birthday fall just before the closing date 17 March 2026, please contact imperialballet@istd.org for individual consideration.

Please be advised: If you enter a competitor in the wrong Grade or level they may be eliminated from the competition and not eligible for the finals.  

Grade 1/Class Examination 1 

• Competitors must be 9 years or under on the closing date 17 March 2026 and working at or passed after 1 September 2025 Grade 1/Class Examination 1. 
• Three enchaînements: port de bras/adage; allegro warm up; allegro. 
• Movement vocabulary suitable for Grade 1.

Grade 2/Class Examination 2  

• Competitors must be 10 years or under on the closing date 17 March 2026 and working at or passed after 1 September 2025 Grade 2/Class Examination 2. 
• Three enchaînements: port de bras/adage; allegro warm up; allegro. 
• Movement vocabulary suitable for Grade 2. 

Grade 3/Class Examination 3 

• Competitors must be 12 years or under on the closing date 17 March 2026 and working at or passed after 1 September 2025 Grade 3/Class Examination 3. 
• Three enchaînements: port de bras/adage; allegro warm up; allegro. 
• Movement vocabulary suitable for Grade 3. 

Grade 4/Class Examination 4 

• Competitors must be 13 years or under on the closing date 17 March 2026 and working at or passed after 1 September 2025 Grade 4/Class Examination 4. 
• Three enchaînements: port de bras/adage; allegro warm up; allegro. 
• Movement vocabulary suitable for Grade 4. 

Grade 5, 6, Intermediate Foundation/Class Examination 5-8 

• Competitors must be 16 years or under on the closing date 17 March 2026 and working at or passed after 1 September 2025 Grade 5, Grade 6, Intermediate Foundation/Class Examination 5-8.
• Two enchaînements: port de bras/adage and allegro.
• Movement vocabulary suitable for Grade 5, Grade 6 and Intermediate Foundation.

Intermediate  

• Competitors must be 18 years or under on the closing date 17 March 2026 and working at or passed after 1 September 2025 Intermediate. 
• Two enchaînements: Port de bras/adage/pirouette and allegro. 
• Movement vocabulary suitable for Intermediate. 

Advanced 1 / Advanced 2 

• Competitors must be 19 years or under on the closing date 17 March 2026 and working at or passed after 1 September 2025 Advanced 1 or Advanced 2. 
• Three enchaînements: Port de bras/adage; allegro; pointe OR virtuosity. 
• Movement vocabulary suitable for Advanced 1 and Advanced 2.

Rules

• No late entries will be accepted. 
• Age-appropriate dancewear should be worn, with no logos or branded clothing. 
• Competitors’ body and feet must be clearly visible on the recording throughout. 
• Make-up – as appropriate for the age range. 
• Enchaînements to be danced once through ONLY, shot with one camera angle ONLY. 
• Enchaînements must be performed as shown in the notes or video.
• Videos must be submitted by ISTD teachers ONLY.

Awards

• All prizes will be awarded at the discretion of the adjudicators. 
• All competitors will receive participation certificates. 
• International and Global Advanced finalists will receive finalist certificates and all winners of these competitions will be awarded medals by post.  

• Upon submission of the entry fee, a Dropbox link will be located at the bottom of the Eventbrite confirmation email, where competitors' videos can be uploaded securely. 
• Video submissions must be clearly named as Entry Category - Dancer Name - School name - Teacher Name 
• Competitors must show the following information written on an A4 sheet at the start of the video: Entry category and UK heats/International heats/Global heats. 
• Whether you use a Video Camera, DSLR Camera or Mobile Phone to record the video, please ensure the lens of the camera/phone is cleaned to avoid finger marks or dust. 
• Please check the camera settings are set to the highest resolution when filming. 
• Please be aware of what is behind the dancer and in the video frame. If possible, have a clear, tidy studio/performance space, with no external noises when filming. 
• Please allow at least 3 seconds at the beginning of the video before the music and competitor commence, and do not stop recording until at least 3 seconds after the competitor has finished. 
• Competitor/s body and feet must be clearly visible on the recording throughout. 
• It is of paramount importance that the video is of good visual quality and that the music can be heard. Videos of poor quality may affect the result of entries. 
• A plain light-coloured background is ideal, if possible. 
• All videos should be recorded in one take from start to finish, using one camera only. 
• All videos should be submitted in MP4 format. 
• All videos should be recorded in LANDSCAPE orientation. 
• Videos must be submitted by ISTD teachers ONLY. 

Safety and Security

• Safe dance practice is paramount. Teachers must ensure competitors have a suitable space to dance and move freely, which is clear of any obstructions. Competitors should ensure they are fully warmed up before recording the video/s to perform in a safe manner, which will not cause injury.
• Teachers are responsible for their own pupils’ safety during this event. 
• Competitors must take part from a hall or studio ONLY, supervised by an ISTD teacher that is DBS checked and all personal items should be removed from view. 
• Teachers should upload video immediately to the ISTD secure Dropbox via the link provided, in the Eventbrite confirmation email. Once the footage is transferred, this should be deleted from your device and not stored. 
• Consent forms will be completed by all competitors via parents/guardians in readiness for both the recorded heats and live finals. Any data received on the entry/consent form will be kept securely and used for the purposes of administrating this event. After a reasonable time, this will be destroyed. No data will be shared with any person or group outside the ISTD. 
• For safeguarding and security reasons it is preferable that teachers use a recording device with a memory card when recording (preferably password protected). 
• Principals must ensure all teachers involved in preparing pupils for the competitions are fully aware of and understand the competition rules. 

Terms and Conditions

• I confirm the competitor/s are working at the required grade or level.
• All competitors must have been with their present ISTD-qualified Imperial Classical Ballet teacher/school from at least 1 September 2025. 
• Teachers can enter as many students as they wish. 
• Entries must be made by an ISTD teacher and not parents/guardians. Entries can be from any country. 
• Competitors should perform the enchaînements as dressed for ballet class. 
• Anyone competing in this online event does so at their own risk. The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing will not accept any responsibility for any injury howsoever caused. 
• A consent form must be completed for all competitors, in order for them to be adjudicated in the online heats stage of the competition. The link for this can be found in your order confirmation email.
• By entering the competitor’s video, you have agreed on the competitor’s behalf, for their name and possibly footage of them dancing, to be published on ISTD marketing / social media channels.
• Upon submission of your application on the competitor’s behalf you are agreeing to the criteria set above and to adhere to health and safety regulations and the competitor rules. 
• Winning and commendation video footage may be kept and used by the Society for any promotional purposes for up to two years, all other video entries will be deleted within 10 working days of winners and commendations being announced. 
• No refunds are payable once an entry has been made and payment received. 
• The Adjudicators’ decision is final, individual feedback will not be provided. 
• The integrity of the teacher is relied upon to ensure that the rules are followed by all participants to enable the smooth running of the event. 
• All competitors will receive a digital certificate of participation with their name included. 
• The ISTD will not be held responsible for any person in breach of their current country/local regulations. 
• The ISTD reserves the right to cancel or amend the event without notice and any changes to the competition will be notified to entrants as soon as possible by the organiser. 

*The competition relies on a certain number of entries being received. If insufficient entries are received the competition may not be viable and in this case entry fees will be returned. Competitors must be made aware of this by their teacher in advance. If the competition cannot take place teachers will be advised by email.