2000 – First Young British Dancer of the Year competition held

Young British Dancer of the Year was a competition envisaged by Gailene Stock in 1999, with the first competition taking place in 2000. Her idea was to find and nurture talented dancers throughout Britain by way of giving them the excitement and inspiration of a competition in London, hosted by The Royal Ballet School. The number of participating schools grew over the years. The prizes for the winners were generous and there were also opportunities for invitations to The Royal Ballet School’s Summer Schools. The panel of judges was always prestigious, and there was a special prize, the Sibley-Dowell Award, that was given to a promising young student with potential. In total, there were 15 consecutive competitions, the last being held in 2014.