Calvin Royal III

began his ballet studies when he was 14 years old. Although he had previously been introduced to dance techniques such as jazz, west-African and hip hop, he began to train in ballet at Pinellas County Center for the Arts (PCCA) at Gibbs High School. There, he studied under the direction of Suzanne Pomerantzeff (ballet) and Patricia L. Paige (modern dance). Sophomore year, Calvin was involved in a car accident which left him with a lower back injury. With help from therapy, he was able to resume his training. He then rained at the local Academy of Ballet Arts, which Suzanne Pomerantzeff, his teacher at the performing arts high school was the director of as well.

In 2005, Calvin placed 3rd in the Semi-Finals of YAGP. This placement allowed him to travel to New York City and be offered a full scholarship to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School (JKO School) at ABT. The following year, he moved to NYC to begin his studies at the JKO School at ABT and complete his senior year of high school at the Professional Performing Arts High School in Midtown Manhattan. He was one of twelve dancers selected from all over the globe. Being the only black dancer in his class, and constantly overhearing other dancers comment negatively about his place in the school, he pushed through to prove to himself that he had not come this far to give up.

In 2008, Calvin was one of four dancers promoted into ABT II. He traveled the world and performed leading roles in the classics and cutting edge contemporary ballets. In the fall of 2010, ABT Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie offered Calvin a spot with ABT Main Company and in April of 2011 he was promoted to a member of the Corps de Ballet, a rank he remained for six years.

Calvin was the first black man in over two decades to be promoted to the rank of Soloist with ABT in September 2017 and in September 2020 he ascended to the rank of Principal Dancer, one of three black dancers to hold the title in ABT’s history.

He has appeared in leading roles in numerous ABT productions of Swan Lake, Manon, Fancy Free, Apollo, and was set to debut as Romeo in Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet alongside Principal ballerina and activist Misty Copeland at the Metropolitan Opera House in May 2020. He was also scheduled to debut as Albrecht in Giselle and star in Of Love and Rage, a new production by ABT Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky set to orchestrations of Aram Khachaturian’s Gayane. Calvin has worked and collaborated with choreographers: Twyla Tharp, Alexei Ratmansky, Mark Morris, Wayne McGreggor, Kyle Abraham, Michelle Dorrance, Benjamin Milipied, Jessica Lang, Pam Tanowitz, Justin Peck, and many others. 

Calvin was a recipient of the Leonore Annenberg Fellowship, which allowed him to travel around the world and refine his technique and artistry. he’s performed and attended many Galas for YAGP, starred in the 2019 Pirelli Calendar alongside Misty Copeland, and photographed in many global campaigns for brands such as GAP, Target, and Ralph Lauren to name a few.  He had his own cover for the July 2020 issue of Dance Magazine, where he was named the 2020/21 Artist in Residence at the Vail Dance Festival in Colorado where he’s been invited for the last five summers.

He was invited to be on the Summer Festival Committee at the Kaatsbaan Cultural Park in Tivoli, NY. He along with Alicia Graf-Mack (Dean of Dance at the Juilliard School), Lloyd Knight (Principal Dancer at Martha Graham Dance Company), Stella Abrera (Artistic Director) and Sonja Kostich (Executive Director) to organize opportunities for artists to safely perform live in the midst of COVID-19 which postponed or forced many companies nationwide to shut down. On August 1st & 2nd, 2020 Calvin presented two programs that he curated and choreographed with dancers from ABT as well as two guests from Dorrance Dance highlighting the beauty and power of black artists in dance, music, and the voices that shaped the culture.

Inspired by the imagery and symbolic nature of his connection to the role of dancing Apollo with ABT in 2019, Calvin is working to establish a charitable organization to ensure that he, and other artists of color, ascend the stairs to glory together. His organization aims to also provide mentorship and scholarship opportunities for the next generation.

Find him on Instagram: @calvinroyaliii