The 15-year-old South African ballerina claims three world titles in Belgium while starring in Alice in Wonderland at Artscape.
Cape Town, South Africa (18 December 2025) – At just 15 years old, Zara Yazbek is already dancing on some of the world’s biggest stages, carrying the South African flag with extraordinary talent. The young performer recently returned from De Panne, Belgium, where she represented South Africa at the International Dance Organisation (IDO) World Championships as part of the national dance team. She delivered a standout performance, claiming three world titles in Classical Ballet Solo, Junior Repertoire Solo and Ballet Duo. This achievement confirms her status as one of the country’s most exciting young dance talents.
While her international success continues to grow, local audiences can currently see Zara on stage in Cape Town, where she appears as Young Alice in Cape Town City Ballet’s Alice in Wonderland, running at Artscape until 28 December 2025. This has become second nature, balancing elite competition with professional productions. She has also spent much of her school holidays training and performing alongside established artists in major ballet productions.
She started training at the Juanita Yazbek Dance Academy at the age of three, laying the foundation for a career built on discipline and consistency. Over the years, she has collected numerous awards at eisteddfods and ballet competitions, with her work ethic opening doors early on. One of her first major international engagements saw her cast as Matilda in the musical Matilda, touring China and the Philippines with GWB Entertainment.
Dance is only one part of Zara’s creative world. she is also an accomplished pianist, singer and actress. Recently, she took on the lead role in her school production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at St Cyprian’s, further showcasing her versatility as a performer.
Much of Zara’s development has been shaped by strong mentorship at home. She trains under the guidance of her mother, Juanita Yazbek, a former CAPAB Ballet and Cape Town City Ballet ballerina. That legacy of excellence continues to influence Zara’s approach to her craft.
As Zara continues to collect accolades and expand her international footprint, she remains firmly rooted in South Africa’s performing arts landscape.
Sources: Supplied
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