Calvin Royal III

Calvin Royal III (born ) is an American ballet dancer. He is the third black dancer to be a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre.

Early life and training Royal is from Tampa, Florida. When he was 17, he competed at the Youth America Grand Prix "just hoping to get feedback", and received a scholarship to the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in New York City.

Career Royal joined ABT II, American Ballet Theatre's second company in 2007, became an apprentice with the main company in 2010, a corps de ballet member in 2011, and soloist in 2017. In 2014, Royal received a $50,000 fellowship which he used to tour Europe and to train at the Royal Ballet in London and the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia.

In 2019, Royal and Misty Copeland became the first black duo in ABT to dance the lead roles in a ballet, by performing Ratmansky's restaging of Harlequinade. In 2020, though his debuts as the lead roles in Giselle and MacMillan's Romeo and Juliet were delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, he was promoted to principal dancer, making him the third black person to reach this rank, after Desmond Richardson and Copeland.

In 2017, Royal performed a pas de deux Balanchine's Agon alongside New York City Ballet soloist Unity Phelan, with Arthur Mitchell, who originated Royal's role and the first African American dancer with NYCB, in the audience. Mitchell commented the ballet was "in good hands", and later said "If they ever did a film of a young me, it would be Calvin." The following year, after Mitchell's death, Royal and Phelan reprised the Agon pas de deux at his memorial.

Royal had been a frequent performer at the Vail Dance Festival since 2015. He was named artist-in-residence of the festival in 2020. Royal was also handpicked by Copeland to be her partner in performances outside of the company.

Personal life Royal is openly gay,