BY ELIZABETH ZIMMER | The performing careers of ballet dancers are notoriously short, so it behooves an artist to plan ahead. Calvin Royal III, only the third person of color to achieve the rank of principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre, has been dancing for more than 20 years and is still at it. Now in his mid-thirties, he’s also finishing up a bachelor’s degree and practicing a new skill—curating programs of dance that combine masterpieces from the repertory with new works by his contemporaries.

Coming to The Joyce Theater August 13-18 is a ballet festival he’s built—called UNITE—in which two mixed bills, heavy on gay, black, Asian, and female choreographers, are interleaved. The first one, opening Tuesday, August 13, includes excerpts from Balanchine’s very early Apollo, to Stravinsky, and his Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux. Royal will perform in both of these, along with Chyrstyn Fentroy in the first and Chloe Misseldine in the second. Also on display are a pas de deux from Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon, world premieres by Adriana Pierce and Aleisha Walker, and works by Alonzo King, Duncan Lyle, and James Whiteside. Royal’s husband, Czech pianist Jacek Mysinski, accompanies several of these pieces including Royal’s new solo for himself, Moonlight, to Debussy.

The second program, which debuts Wednesday, August 14, ventures further out, including works by Angelin Preljocaj, Kenneth MacMillan, Lauren Lovette (whose Dreamachine Pas de Deux is cast with Paul Taylor Dance Company members Jessica Ferretti and Kenny Corrigan), and emerging artists Brady Farrar, My’Kai Stromile, Zhongzing Fang, and Christopher Rudd. Opening this bill is Victor Trevino’s reconstruction of the 1845 Pas de Quatre by Perrot, danced by his all-male comedy ballet company Les Ballets Eloelle/Grandiva. Many of the performers and choreographers on both bills are from out of town, but my hunch is that these two programs, taken together, will provide much pleasure and lots of new favorites to follow.

After this festival The Joyce shuts down for its annual month of R&R (that would be rest and repair!), returning in September with two more weeks of ballet, both with live music: The London City Ballet, (September 17-22) and Philadelphia’s own BalletX (September 25-29).

“UNITE” is performed August 13-18 at The Joyce Theater (175 Eighth Ave. at W. 19th St.). Runtime: One hour and 40 minutes with one intermission. For tickets ($12-$92, prices subject to change), visit www.joyce.org or call 212-0800. There will be a Curtain Chat following the Wed., Aug 14 performance, offering discussions with artists. Saturday, August 17’s 2pm Program II performance is a Family Matinee (audiences 5 to 15 and their grown-ups meet the artists following the performances—kids’ tickets, $10).

Program I

Tuesday, August 13 at 7:30pm / Thursday, August 15 at 7:30pm / Saturday, August 17 at 8pm / Sunday August 18 at 2pm

Apollo Solo and Pas de Deux (Balanchine/Stravinsky)

Cast: Chyrstyn Fentroy, Calvin Royal III

Jacek Mysinski on piano; Kobi Malkin on violin

 

Manon Bedroom Pas de Deux (MacMillan/Massenet)

Cast: Sae Eun Park, Paul Marque

 

Night Pieces (Lyle/Schuman)

Cast: Kyra Coco, Ingrid Thoms, Duncan MacIlwain, Tristan Brosnan

Jacek Mysinski on piano

 

Untitled World Premiere Work (Aleisha Walker/Milstein)

Cast: Aleisha Walker

Kobi Malkin on violin

 

 Suite of Dances (Whiteside/Rozzi)

Cast: Isabella Boylston, James Whiteside

Jacek Mysinski on piano; Rozzi on vocals

 

Moonlight (Royal/Debussy)

Cast: Calvin Royal III

Jacek Mysinski on piano

 

Excerpts from Flight (Joo/Bach)

Cast: Herman Cornejo

 

Scheherazade Pas de Deux (King/Hussain)

Cast: Adji Cissoko, Shuaib Elhassan

 

Untitled World Premiere Work (Adriana Pierce/Israel)

Cast: Ingrid Thoms, Kyra Coco

 

Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux (Balanchine/Tchaikovsky)

Cast: Chloe Misseldine, Calvin Royal III

Program II

Wednesday, August 14 at 7:30pm / Friday, August 16 at 8pm / Saturday, August 17 at 2pm / Sunday, August 18 at 7:30pm

Pas de Quatre (Trevino after Perrot/Pugni)

Cast: Dancers of Ballet Eloelle/Grandiva

 

Untitled Duet (My’Kal Stromile/Patton)

Cast: Tyson Ali Clark, Chyrstyn Fentroy

 

Excerpt from Le Parc (Preljocaj/Mozart)

Cast: Sae Eun Park, Paul Marque

 

Griot (Cissoko/Cissokho)

Cast: Adji Cissoko

 

Romeo & Juliet Balcony Pas de Deux (MacMillan/Prokofiev)

Cast: Isabella Boylston, Calvin Royal III

Jacek Mysinski on piano; Kobi Malkin on violin

 

Untitled World Premiere Work (Zhongzing Fang/Bosso)

Cast: Luigi Crispino

 

Dreamachine Pas de Deux (Lauren Lovette)

Cast: Jessica Feretti, Kenny Corrigan

 

Valse Masquerade (Farrar/Christian)

Cast: Crystal Huang

 

Touché (Rudd/Morricone & Woodkid)

Cast: Calvin Royal III, João Menegussi

—END—

Chelsea Community News is an independent, hyperlocal news, arts, events, info, and opinion website made possible with the help of our awesome advertisers and the support of our readers. Our Promise: Never a paywall, no pop-up ads, all content is FREE. With that in mind, if circumstances allow, please consider taking part in our GoFundMe campaign (click here). To make a direct donation, give feedback, send a Letter to the Editor, or contact  founder/editor, email Scott Stiffler, via scott@chelseacommunitynews.com.