Rising Stars 2026 – Guest Artists Announcement

The Prix de Lausanne is delighted to announce Inès McIntosh and Shale Wagman as the guest artists for the Rising Stars 2026 performance.

Both dancers represent the excellence, passion, and artistic individuality that lie at the heart of the Prix de Lausanne. We are honoured to welcome them back to Lausanne, where they will share their artistry with our audience in a special performance that celebrates the next generation of talent.

They will be dancing two pas-de-deux. Starting with Le Corsaire, from choreographer Marius Petipa and music from Joseph Mazilier, and closing the event with the neo-classical pas-de-deux Les Amants Voilés, from choreographer Francesca Nappa.

Inès McIntosh is a French–South African dancer whose career has been marked by an extraordinary rise within the Paris Opera Ballet. After joining the company’s Corps de Ballet at just 16, she quickly distinguished herself, becoming Coryphée in 2021, Sujet in 2022 and, finally, Première danseuse in 2023. Winner of the Rudolf Nureyev Competition, the Prix du Cercle Carpeaux (2023) and the Prix AROP de la Danse (2024), she has established herself as one of the most promising talents of her generation. Her repertoire spans classical masterpieces such as La Bayadère, Giselle, Swan Lake and Don Quixote, as well as contemporary works by Forsythe and Bubeníček, confirming her remarkable versatility and artistic maturity.

Shale Wagman, originally from Canada, trained in Toronto and Monte Carlo at the Princess Grace Academy and has received numerous international distinctions, including being a Prize Winner at the Prix de Lausanne and the Rudolf Nureyev Foundation Artistic Award (2018). He made history as the youngest guest artist to perform a leading role at the Mariinsky Theatre and has since danced in major productions for companies such as the English National Ballet. His repertoire includes works by Derek Deane, Marco Goecke, Akram Khan, Russell Maliphant, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Jean-Christophe Maillot, Christopher Wheeldon and Wayne McGregor. Also an emerging choreographer, he has created pieces for prestigious platforms including the Princess Grace Academy and Les Rencontres Philosophiques de Monaco. Wagman joined the Bayerisches Staatsballett in 2021 and was promoted to Principal Dancer for the 2022–23 season before joining the Paris Opera Ballet.

Together, Inès McIntosh and Shale Wagman bring exceptional artistry, depth and individuality to the Rising Stars 2026 performance. We look forward to welcoming them back to Lausanne for an evening that celebrates the richness and diversity of the next generation of dance.