News of Note: What You Might Have Missed in July 2026

News of Note: What You Might Have Missed in July 2026 Here are the latest promotions, appointments, and departures, as well as notable awards and accomplishments, from July 2026. Comings & Goings At American Ballet Theatre, effective in September, Jarod Curley, SunMi Park, and Jake Roxander have been promoted to principal, Zimmi Coker, Michael de la Nuez, Tyler Maloney, Joseph Markey, Andrew Robare, and Yoon Jung Seo to soloist. At The Royal Ballet, Taisuke Nakao has been promoted to first soloist, Nadia Mullova-Barley, Ella Newton Severgnini, Charlotte Tonkinson, Marianna Tsembenhoi, Harrison Lee, and Marco Masciari to soloist. First soloist Valentino Zucchetti will depart the company to focus on choreography and producing in October. His final performance is scheduled for October 24. At South Carolina Ballet, Claire Rapp has been promoted to ballerina, Dylan Van Dyke and Sydney Murrell to demi-soloist. At Vienna State Ballet, Natalya Butchko, Alessandro Cavallo, Duccio Tariello, and Rinaldo Venuti have been promoted to soloist, Chiara Uderzo to demi-soloist. Rafael Quenedit has joined Boston Ballet as a soloist. Sasha Mukhamedov will join National Ballet of Canada as a first soloist at the start of the new season. Benjamin Freemantle will join Staatsballett Berlin as a soloist at the start of the new season. English National Ballet lead principal Shiori Kase has departed the company. Julian MacKay was dismissed from his position as principal dancer at Bayerisches Staatsballett. He is currently pursuing legal action. New York City Ballet soloist Brittany Pollack has retired. Ballet West principal Tyler Gum will retire at the end of October. Melissa M. Young has been named artistic director of Bruce Wood Dance, succeeding Joy Bollinger, who is stepping into the newly created role of resident choreographer and répétiteur. Tulsa Ballet artistic director Marcello Angelini and assistant artistic director Daniela Buson will retire at the end of the 2026–27 season. Chloë Flores has stepped down as executive director and curator of homeLA; Bernard Brown and Samantha Mohr have been named interim co-directors. Leah Voigt has been appointed CEO of Grand Rapids Ballet after serving in the role in an interim capacity since October. Doug Singleton has been named executive director of The Washington Ballet. Moisés Martín Cintas has joined National Ballet of Canada as a rehearsal director. David LaMarche has been appointed music director at American Ballet Theatre. Awards & Honors At the 2026 Tap City Awards, Alexandria “Brinae Ali” Bradley and Mark Yonally will receive Hoofer Awards, and Thelma Goldberg the Preservation Award. Buddy Bradley, LaVaughn Robinson, and NYC Tapworks will be inducted into the Tap Dance Hall of Fame. Eric Gauthier received the City of Stuttgart’s Citizens’ Medal. Claude “CJ” Johnson, Elyse Morris, and André M. Zachery are the recipients of New Dance Alliance’s 2026–27 Black Artists Space to Create residency, which provies one week of dedicated studio and living space and a $2,000 stipend. Kinetic Light is among the organizations to receive a major grant from the Doris Duke and Ford Foundations supporting technological innovation in the performing arts.