Calvin Royal III enters from stage right. With his chin slightly raised and arms outstretched, he stands in the corner of the American Ballet Theatre with welcome anticipation. Commanding every inch of space, he is at home in the studio. Royal exudes grace and regalness with every body movement. He has an extraordinary affinity for ballet–and it is this innate ability that primes him for the prestigious position of ABT’s Principal Dancer (becoming the third Black man to ever do so). It is no small feat in itself, but all the more impressive when you learn that he had a later start to ballet than his peers. The Florida native began his ballet journey when he was 14 years old in the Pinellas County Center for the Arts. But his natural flair for executing the most complex dance positions, seemingly effortlessly, and command the attention of an audience, was not overlooked. Soon, he earned a full scholarship to the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at ABT and ultimately made his way to the global stage and arguably, the ballet capital of the world, New York City.