Your July 2026 Roster Roundup: Dancers and Directors on the Move

July 6, 2026

The past few weeks have brought another exciting round of ballet career news—check out the latest farewells, appointments, promotions, and more in your July 2026 roster roundup.

Promotions and Appointments

Jake Roxander has been promoted to principal at American Ballet Theatre, effective September 1, 2026. ABT artistic director Susan Jaffe announced the news onstage following Roxander’s debut as Basilio in Don Quixote on July 3 at New York City’s Metropolitan Opera House.

On June 21, following his performance as Solor in La Bayadère, Thomas Docquir was named Paris Opéra Ballet’s newest étoile.

Onstage during curtain call, Thomas Docquir places his head in his hands as he is overwhelmed with happy emotion. Dancers around him in costume clap and celebrate. — Thomas Docquir (front, second from left) and fellow Paris Opéra Ballet dancers celebrating Docquir’s promotion onstage. Photo by Yonathan Kellerman, courtesy POB.

At the Hungarian National Ballet, Kiyota Motomi will move up to étoile at the start of the 2026–27 season.

The Stuttgart Ballet’s Abigail Willson-Heisel has been promoted to principal after her performance of Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty.

Danbi Kim has been named Houston Ballet’s newest principal.

Danbi Kim soars in a saut de chat, arms in high fifth, onstage as Myrtha. She wears a long, white Romantic tutu with arm puffs. — Danbi Kim as Myrtha in Stanton Welch’s *Giselle*. Photo by Alana Campbell, courtesy Houston Ballet.

Ballet Theatre of Maryland has announced 10 promotions for the 2026–27 season: Cindy Case and Brayden Page to principal; Amanda Cobb to soloist; Emery Newton, Alyssa Nichols, Kyley Paules, and Amber Sanders to corps de ballet; and Brooke Altman, Hannah Brickey, and Gabrielle DeJong to apprentice.

At English National Ballet, Julia Conway has been promoted to principal; Noam Durand and Minju Kang to first soloist; Chloe Keneally, Shunhei Fuchiyama, and Jose María Lorca Menchón to soloist; and Anna Ciriano, William Simmons, and Lucinda Strachan to first artist.

Royal Danish Ballet’s Tomoka Kawazoe has moved up to soloist.

Harvey Littlefield, dressed as Mary, Queen of Scots, walks a prop dog onstage. — Harvey Littlefield as Younger Elizabeth in *Mary, Queen of Scots*. Photo by Andy Ross, courtesy Scottish Ballet.

At the National Ballet of Canada, Issac Wright was promoted to first soloist and Tene Ward to second soloist.

The Philadelphia Ballet announced that Isaac Hollis has been promoted to first soloist.

At Birmingham Royal Ballet, Yasiel Hodelín Bello was promoted to first soloist; Rosanna Ely, Ryan Felix, Haoliang Feng, and Mason King to soloist; and Amelia Thompson to first artist.

Scottish Ballet’s Harvey Littlefield has moved up to soloist, and Hannah Cubitt and Urara Takata to first artist.

Nashville Ballet announced the promotions of Summer Brown, Nicholas Mihlar, Summer Montenegro, Joe Parker, and Gwyneth Smith to company artist.

Christopher Charles McDaniel smiles for a portrait while leaning on a double ballet barre in a brightly lit studio. — Christopher Charles McDaniel. Photo courtesy Dances Patrelle.

At Richmond Ballet, Morgan Davis, Senna Dewulf, Rika Kinoshita, and Chase Marcot are all moving up to company artist, while Chelsea Hacking and Tekhylon Armour have been named company apprentice.

Elisabeth Moberg of the Twin Cities Ballet of Minnesota has moved up to associate company dancer.

Stuttgart Ballet has announced that Tamas Detrich will continue his tenure as artistic director.

Dances Patrelle has named Christopher Charles McDaniel as its new artistic director.

Dmitri Kulev, most recently at the helm of Nashville Ballet School, has been appointed director of Nashville Ballet 2.

At the Indianapolis School of Ballet, Emily Nord Womersley has become the school’s dean, and Meghan McGuire has been appointed manager of trainee, pre-professional, and summer intensive programs.

Farewells, New Arrivals, and Guestings

Following the announcement of her departure from Boston Ballet, Chyrstyn Mariah Fentroy has shared that she will be joining the Royal Swedish Ballet as a principal.

After 16 years with The Royal Ballet, first soloist Valentino Zucchetti will leave the company in October to pursue his choreographic and producing career. His final performance will be as Lescaut in Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon on October 24.

English National Ballet has announced that soloist Paulo Rodrigues de Oliveira and company artist Nathaniel Ritter-Magot have departed.

Chyrstyn Mariah Fentroy poses in piqué arabesque croisé derriere, her hips facing the back left corner onstage as she twists her upper body to look at the audience. She wears a white tutu with red and black accents, posing with one hand on her hip and the other raised as she flicks a fan open. — Chyrstyn Mariah Fentroy in Rudolf Nureyev’s *Don Quixote*. Photo by Brooke Trisolini, courtesy Boston Ballet.

The following dancers are joining ENB at the start of the 2026–27 season: Gustavo Carvalho as a first soloist; and Jaime Almaraz Baizán, Henry Burgess, and Antonio Cortese as company artists. Hugo Marchand, Ksenia Ovsyanick, and Davi Ramos will appear as associate guest artists for select engagements throughout the season.

ENB also welcomes back associate guest répétiteur Cynthia Harvey, who will work alongside guest répétiteurs Stefanie Arndt, Yannick Boquin, Manuel Legris, Elisabeth Maurin, Alejandro Parente, and Clotilde Vayer.

National Ballet of Canada celebrates the retirements of second soloists Kathryn Hosier and Miyoko Koyasu, as well as corps dancer Trygve Cumpston. Corps member Jason Ferro is also departing the company.

Houston Ballet has announced the departures of soloist Alyssa Springer, as well as apprentices Abigail Brent and Jordan Long.

Valentino Zucchetti splits his legs in a powerful sauté, arms in high third. He wears white tights and a white one-sleeved tunic with black accents. Another dancer stands onstage behind him with one leg casually crossed over the other. — Valentino Zucchetti (front) and Luca Acri in *Symphonic Variations*. Photo by Tristam Kenton, courtesy The Royal Ballet.

After 10 seasons with Charlotte Ballet, Shaina Wire has taken her final bow.

Nali Dobrin has announced she will be joining The Hungarian National Ballet as a coryphée.

After dancing with BalletX, Peter Weil will return to Philadelphia Ballet as a demi-soloist.

Mark Sims will move to Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo from the Bavarian Junior Ballet Munich.

Michael Caye has joined Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre.

Smuin Contemporary Ballet welcomes new dancers Anderson Da Silva and Logan Martin.

Awards and Recognitions

English National Ballet has announced the winners of its 2026 Emerging Dancer awards: Jakob Wheway Hughes, Artistic Distinction and Audience Choice; Zai Calliste, Technical Excellence; and Yihan Qin, Versatility.

ENB’s Anna Ciriano has also received this year’s Corps de Ballet Award.

Yihan Qin and Zai Calliste perform a pas de deux onstage, Qin in a short white dress and Calliste in a light blue off-the-shoulder costume with draped fabric. They dance in front of an orchestra onstage, Calliste supporting Qin in an attitude derriere on pointe with arms in high third. — Yihan Qin (front) and Zai Calliste performing a pas de deux from *The Talisman* at English National Ballet’s Emerging Dancer 2026. Photo by Isabella Turolla, courtesy ENB.

The winners of One Dance UK’s 2026 National Dance Awards have been selected. The list includes Royal Ballet principals William Bracewell, Lauren Cuthbertson, and Ryoichi Hirano; Scottish Ballet principal Roseanna Leney and choreographer in residence Sophie Laplane; National Ballet of Japan; and London City Ballet.

The Hungarian National Ballet has recognized Radina Dace, artistic director of the Hungarian National Ballet Institute, as well as HNBI student Léna Petrovics, as company chamber artists for the 2026–27 season.

The City of Raleigh Arts Commission has named Carolina Ballet artistic director and CEO Zalman Raffael as one of 12 recipients of the 2026 Raleigh Medal of Arts Awards, which recognizes leaders who have contributed significant achievements to the arts in Raleigh, North Carolina.