An Evening in Conversation.
Soirée Social Club and American Ballet Theatre bring Calvin Royal III and Madison Brown together for a personal look at life in ballet.
Hosted by Ebony Renée Devereaux, the conversation will explore how they have developed their artistic voices, found support and belonging, and navigated the expectations and opportunities that come with being Black artists in classical ballet.
Through their individual experiences, we'll consider the connections between craft, identity, and cultural legacy—and what they hope to pass on to the artists who follow.
Please join us afterward for a reception and time to connect.
In conversation with Calvin & Madison.
Calvin Royal III
Calvin Royal III began his formal dance training under the direction of Suzanne Pomerantzeff and Patricia L. Paige at the Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School in St. Petersburg, Florida. He joined the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in September 2006 and was the recipient of the Ethan Stiefel Scholarship in 2006 and 2007.
Royal joined ABT II (now ABT Studio Company) in December 2007. He joined the main Company as an apprentice in October 2010 and the corps de ballet in April 2011. He was appointed a Soloist in September 2017 and a Principal Dancer in September 2020. His repertoire with the Company includes the title role in Apollo, Albrecht in Giselle, Lescaut in Manon, Lensky in Onegin, Othello in Othello: A Dance in Three Acts, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Prince Désiré in Susan Jaffe's The Sleeping Beauty, Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, Aminta in Sylvia, Polixenes in The Winter's Tale, and "Becomings" in Woolf Works. He created Razumikhin in Crime and Punishment, North Wind in A Gathering of Ghosts, Adam in Touché, and a leading role in Serenade after Plato's Symposium.
Royal was named a finalist at the 2013 Clive Barnes Awards and, in 2014, was awarded the Leonore Annenberg Fellowship to further his artistic development. Royal was the 2020-2021 Artist-in-Residence for the Vail Dance Festival in Vail, Colorado. In 2026, he was named Associate Artistic Director at Harlem Stage.
As a Founding Ambassador of Soirée Social Club, he has been a steady voice for expanding access and representation for Black artists in the fine and classical performing arts.
Madison Brown
Madison Brown is originally from Wellington, Florida. She began her dance training at the age of two and at the age of 10 joined Lents Dance Company and The Art of Classical Ballet. In 2018, Brown performed contemporary pieces on NBC's World of Dance. Brown won the Legacy Award at Universal Alliance and was the National Outstanding Dancer for New York City Dance Alliance in 2015, 2017, and 2019. In 2019, Brown also won the gold medal at the World Ballet Competition, the Youth Grand Prix Award at YAGP in Tampa, and the bronze medal at YAGP Finals in New York City.
Brown attended American Ballet Theatre's Young Dancer Summer Workshop in 2016 and the ABT Summer Intensive as a National Training Scholar from 2017-2021. She joined the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in 2021 and ABT Studio Company in January 2022.
In 2022, Brown danced with Mariah Carey in a piece choreographed by James Whiteside for the Global Citizen Festival. She performed the Young Creation Award-winning solo Do You Care? by Aleisha Walker at the 2023 Prix de Lausanne competition. In 2025, Brown received the Chris Hellman Dance Award from the Princess Grace Foundation.
Brown became an apprentice with the main Company in November 2023 and joined the corps de ballet in July 2024. Her repertoire includes a Flower Girl in Don Quixote, Moyna in Giselle, Midnight Pas de Deux, Emilia in Othello: A Dance in Three Acts, Rose Pas de Trois in Susan Jaffe's The Sleeping Beauty, Act III, the Polish Princess in Swan Lake, and a leading role in Sextet. She created a featured role in Wrecka Stow.
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