With the new dance season on the horizon, it’s a great time to reflect on the emerging talent that captured our attention last year and consider the opportunities that lie ahead. While it’s challenging to select just a few standout artists, here are some names we’re excited to follow in the upcoming 24/25 season.
Ivana Bueno, First Soloist, English National Ballet
Ivana Bueno, born in Mexico, began her dance training at Fomento Artístico Cordobés in Córdoba before continuing her studies at the Princess Grace Academy in Monte Carlo. She joined English National Ballet in 2018, and her consistent progression led to her recent promotion to First Soloist. Beyond her evident talent, she is known for her strong work ethic. Bueno won ENB’s Emerging Dancer award in 2020 and had already demonstrated her capabilities in principal roles by performing Clara/Sugar Plum in Wayne Eagling’s Nutcracker in 2022. In June 2023, she excelled in Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella in-the-round at the Royal Albert Hall. This year, with only a week’s notice, she made a remarkable debut as Odette/Odile in Derek Deane’s Swan Lake in-the-round. She will make her debut in the title role of Mary Skeaping’s Giselle at the Liverpool Empire on October 26th.
Daniel Mateo, Bangarra Dance Theatre
Daniel Mateo, with heritage from the Gamilaroi people of north-east New South Wales and the Tongan people from the Pacific region, began his early training at Catapult Dance in Newcastle and completed it at NAISDA Dance College in 2020. His first choreography, Boy, cries, was created as part of Catapult Dance’s Propel program in 2019. Mateo joined Bangarra in 2021 and has already made a significant impact. Described as “truly a force,” he is noted for balancing masculine strength with tenderness, and combining silky technique with developed artistry. His performances with Bangarra are compelling, showcasing his charisma and grounded nature, making him an engaging and effective partner.
Kyra Coco, Corps de Ballet, American Ballet Theatre
Kyra Coco, originally from Chesapeake, Virginia, began dancing at the age of three at Ballet Virginia, where she trained until she was 15. She participated twice in the Youth America Grand Prix, at ages 9 and 14, and was placed in the top twelve in both contemporary and classical categories. Coco attended the Houston Ballet Academy on a full scholarship from 2018 to 2020. She joined ABT Studio Company in 2020, where she danced numerous solo roles, including the pas de deux from Anthony Tudor’s The Leaves are Fading and MacMillan’s Concerto pas de deux, showcasing her exceptional grace, poise, and beautiful lines. She became a member of the main Company in 2023.
Marco Masciari, First Artist, The Royal Ballet
Marco Masciari, born in Catanzaro, Italy, began his dance training at age seven. From thirteen, he trained at the Académie de danse Princesse Grace in Monaco. He won first prize and the contemporary prize at the Prix de Lausanne in 2020 and subsequently joined The Royal Ballet as a Prix de Lausanne Apprentice. He was an Artist for the 2022/23 season and was promoted to First Artist in 2023. His solo roles include Puck in The Dream, Beggar Chief in Manon, Jester in Cinderella, and Russian Dance in The Nutcracker. Amanda Jennings recalls first seeing him in Monte Carlo before his graduation from the Académie de danse Princesse Grace. His natural ability and perfect ballet physique were striking. She has watched his evolution from prodigy to emerging artist and notes his dedication and captivating stage presence.
Lilla Harvey, Coryphée, The Australian Ballet
Lilla Harvey, from Subiaco, Perth, started dancing at four years old. Her training included Silhouette Dance School and the Australian Ballet School. She joined The Australian Ballet in 2021. In 2023, she received the TBDA (Telstra Ballet Dancer Award) Rising Star Award and was promoted to coryphée, while still in the corps de ballet. She performed several soloist roles, notably The Boy in Johan Inger’s Carmen and soon after the title role. Katie Lawrence describes her as an elegant dancer with a lovely stage presence, theatrical depth, and a sense of refinement.
Victor Abreu, Corps de Ballet, New York City Ballet
Victor Abreu, born in New York, began training at ten with New York Theatre Ballet. After attending summer schools at the School of American Ballet, he enrolled full-time in 2015. Early in 2019, he was named an apprentice with NYCB and became a corps de ballet member within five months. He has performed many featured roles across a varied repertoire, including several Balanchine ballets and Jerome Robbins’ Dances at a Gathering. Carla Escoda describes him as a major talent who is often given diverse roles with impressive results.
Aishwarya Raut, Rambert
Hailing from Mumbai, India, Aishwarya Raut trained at the Shiamak Davar Institute for Performing Arts and the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. She began her professional career at Shiamak Davar International and joined Rambert2 in 2018, moving to Rambert the following year. Raut runs her own teaching platform with Rambert Plus and choreographed a piece for Rambert’s dancers, which premiered in July at River Stage, National Theatre. Nominated for Best Dancer at the latest National Dance Awards for her 2023 performances, her career highlights include Eye Candy, Aisha and Abhaya, and Rooms. Her stage presence is described as magnetic, captivating audiences as seen in Jill Johnson’s Analogue at Stone Nest.
Joshua Junker, Soloist, The Royal Ballet
Born in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, Joshua Junker began dancing at age 8, initially focusing on breakdance and contemporary at Boys Action. At 14, he entered the Royal Conservatoire The Hague, and after two years, he continued his training at the Royal Ballet School in London. Joining The Royal Ballet’s Aud Jebsen Young Dancers Programme in 2017, he was promoted to Artist the following year and to First Artist in 2022, with a recent promotion to Soloist. His roles include Bottom in The Dream, Hans Peter/The Nutcracker in The Nutcracker, as well as The Statement, Light of Passage, and the leading role in Kyle Abraham’s The Weathering. Besides his burgeoning dance career, Junker is an exceptional choreographer, creating compelling works for The Royal Ballet’s Draft Works and International Draft Works. His main stage debut this year was with the premiere of Never Known at the Festival of New Choreography.
Viola Pantuso, First Artist, The Royal Ballet
Viola Pantuso, recently promoted to First Artist, joined the Aud Jebsen Programme for the 2021/22 season and the Company as an Artist the following year. Despite the relatively short span of her professional career, she has made significant impressions as Clara in The Nutcracker, Perdita in The Winter’s Tale, and in created roles like Jessica Lang’s Twinkle. Her training began at the Joffrey Academy of Dance and The Ellison Ballet Professional Training Program in New York. She won a silver medal at the Youth America Grand Prix and joined The Royal Ballet School in 2017, attending both White Lodge and the Upper School. Pantuso possesses a formidable technique combined with a fragility, charm, and grace that belies a steely strength.
Pett / Clausen-Knight, PCK
Pett / Clausen-Knight is a dynamic choreographic duo who made a notable impact last season, partly due to the successful Ballets Nights series. James Pett, a former competitive gymnast, graduated from the Laban Dance Centre and began his professional career with the Richard Alston Dance Company in 2011 before joining Company Wayne McGregor in 2013. Travis Clausen-Knight, from South Africa, has had a distinguished dance career working with Michael Clark, Matthew Bourne, Tim Podesta, and Alexander Whitley. He met Pett at Company Wayne McGregor, leading them to form their own company to further their choreographic creativity. Their first significant work, Splinter the Noise, for The Royal Ballet’s Draft Works, attracted the attention of Dame Monica Mason. Since then, they have gained increasing acclaim, including a nomination for Best Independent Company at this year’s National Dance Awards, for works such as IMAGO, Nerve Wire, After Echoes, and In the Absence. They have been invited internationally to create and perform, recently choreographing Programmed to Collapse for the English National Ballet School’s Professional Trainee graduation performance.
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