On June 30, 2026, American Ballet Theatre celebrated its sixth annual Pride Night! Aubrey Lynch III, Dean of Students and Director of ABT Wellness and ABT RISE, kicked off the evening with a pre-show speech highlighting the importance of inclusivity and representation in the arts, followed by a passionate testimonial from Principal Dancer James Whiteside. The evening was dedicated to celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community in and around ABT.  This year the Company welcomed staff, leadership, and board members from local organizations supporting the LGBTQIA+ community into the theater to enjoy a vibrant performance of Don Quixote, led by Skylar Brandt and Herman Cornejo.

ABT welcomed a number of board members from the Human Rights Campaign, and after the show Dancers Responding to Aids made a fundraising appeal in and around the Met lobby. DRA funds essential social services and programs of the Entertainment Community Fund to support individuals affected by critical health issues.

This year’s celebration wrapped up with a post-show toast on the Grand Tier where attendees heard speeches from Executive Director Barry Hughson, Artistic Director Susan Jaffe, and Lynch. To learn more about ABT’s 2026 Pride Night see this year’s insert below. We hope to see you at future ABT events!

Established in 2001 by genderqueer trans choreographer Kade Pyle, Ballez is a company committed to making ballet an inclusive and welcoming space for all. Ballez’s goal is to change the culture around ballet from the inside out, whether that be through class, performances, or conversations with the media. Ballez shares in their mission statement, “We’re here to dance, to perform, to learn and to teach, from our own expertise, and thus to change the form of ballet into what it could be: a place of joyful expression, passion, beauty, complexity, diverse representation, and, respect.”

Live Out Loud is a nonprofit organization dedicated to partnering with families, schools, and communities to provide LGBTQ+ youth with resources and opportunities that help them discover their voice and become leaders of change. Live Out Loud is committed to combatting disproportionate levels of bullying, discrimination, and hostile environments that LGBTQ+ youth face.

Through free art and community events, National Queer Theater works towards creating a more equitable vision of the world “bursting with pride”. By working alongside social justice movements National Queer Theater looks to uplift the queer community through theater various productions and education programs.

Queer the Ballet is an organization that works to create a diverse queer space through live performances, dance on film, and education. Their goal is to provide mainstream visibility for all LGBTQ+ artists with a focus on the ballet world.

A multidisciplinary art organization, Queer | Art provides mentorship, public programming, and material support to drive societal change. Queer | Art prioritizes an artist-centered approach through three major areas of support — Practice, Presents, and Awards.

Since 1972, The Door has provided comprehensive resources to youth across New York City including  health care, education, mental health counseling and crisis intervention, legal assistance, high school equivalency and college preparation services, career development, housing support, arts, sports and recreational activities, and nutritious meals all for free. The Door currently supports 11,000 young people in a diverse and caring environment.

The NYC LGBT Community Center was established at the height of the AIDS crisis to provide a safe and affirming place for LGBT+ New Yorkers. Through an in-person and online approach, NYC LGBT Community Center provides recovery and wellness programs, economic advancement initiatives, family and youth support, advocacy, arts and cultural programming, and space for community organizing, connection, and celebration.

The writer, Grace Wright, is the ABT Press Intern for Summer 2026.