South Korean ballerina Yeom Da-yeon, 17, has claimed second prize at the prestigious Prix de Lausanne 2026, leading a remarkable showing for young Korean dancers at the young dancer competition.
At the finals held Saturday at the Beaulieu Theatre in Lausanne, Switzerland, Yeom was awarded the "Bourse Jeune Etoile" (Young Star Scholarship) and also took home the audience favorite award. William Gyves from the United States won the first prize.
Rather than attending a specialized arts high school after middle school, Yeom opted for homeschooling to focus intensively on her training at her father's ballet academy. Her father, Yeom Ji-hoon, is a former dancer with the Universal Ballet and the Royal New Zealand Ballet.
This year’s competition underscored South Korea’s growing prominence in the ballet world. Of the 78 candidates selected for the 2026 edition, 19 were South Korean, marking the largest representation from any single country.
The 2026 Prix de Lausanne saw 21 dancers advance to the final round. Following the seven-day event, the jury, chaired this year by Kevin O’Hare, director of the Royal Ballet, selected 14 scholarship winners. Notably, all Korean dancers who reached the finals secured a scholarship.
Alongside Yeom, five other Korean dancers were honored. Shin A-ra secured the seventh scholarship, while Kim Tae-eun was awarded the 10th scholarship. Bang Su-hyeok received the 11th scholarship and Son Min-gyun and Jeon Ji-yul claimed the 12th and 14th scholarships, respectively.
The strong results in 2026 extended Korea's winning streak. In 2025, Park Youn-jae made history as the first South Korean male dancer to win the competition, while ballerina Kim Bo-gyeon received the eighth scholarship.
Launched in 1973, the Prix de Lausanne is open to dancers aged 15 to 18 and is considered a gateway to a professional career. Winners receive scholarships that grant free tuition at some of the world’s finest dance schools or apprenticeships with leading dance companies.
Yeom and her fellow laureates follow in the footsteps of celebrated Korean dancers. Kang Sue-jin, the current artistic director of the Korea National Ballet, became the first Korean to win a scholarship in 1985. First prize winners include Choe Yu-hui in 2002, Kim Yu-jin in 2005, Park Sae-eun in 2007 and Park Youn-jae in 2025.
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