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Pride Feature:
Honoring Leopold Allen

Photo: Emma Zordan.
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ABT RISEHistoryPride
June 18, 2024

Pride Feature:
Honoring Leopold Allen

A Visionary in Hair and Makeup Artistry

As part of ABT’s Pride Month initiatives, the ABT RISE Legacy Committee is honored to feature Leopold Samuel Allen (1945-1989), the first resident Hair and Makeup Artist for American Ballet Theatre and a cornerstone of the Company from 1978 to 1988.

"Leopold was a lovely person; talented, caring, fun and with a huge heart."

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Leopold Allen and Michael Owen. Photo: Paul B. Goode.
Leopold Allen and Michael Owen. Photo: Paul B. Goode.

Born on November 17, 1945, in New York City, Leopold was the only boy and fourth of five children born to his mother and father, Leopold and Louise Allen. From a young age, Leopold displayed extraordinary talent for drawing and painting. He inherited a love for fashion and creativity from his father, a tailor from Antigua, and his mother, a seamstress from North Carolina.  

By junior high, Leopold was designing outfits for his four sisters, Joan, Glenda, Rose, and Bertha, which led him to attend the High School of Fashion Industries in NYC. After graduating, he began his career with Diane Martin Wigs, where his talent caught the eye of pioneering Black supermodel Naomi Sims. 

"Leopold was such a light at ABT. He made the process of putting makeup on so much fun. He had the funniest sense of humor and was always making us laugh. He just made everything delightful. Every night his makeup was a work of art. I always felt safe in Leopold’s Artistic hands. After he passed away and I began doing my own makeup I followed his every detail so in a way he lived on through me."

- Susan Jaffe

"Leopold’s make up room was always a haven for me during some difficult times. There was music, laughter, and genuine caring there. He was a very special person….talented, professional, intelligent, and sympathetic to all. I loved going to visit his “oasis” even when I didn’t need any makeup or hair assistance."

- Cynthia Gregory

"As one of the dancers who got to spend time in the chair in Leopold's room, I can say that it was a refuge. He always had music playing and it felt light and happy."

- Lisa Rinehart

Leopold Allen and Alessandra Ferri. Photo: Paul B. Goode.
Leopold Allen and Alessandra Ferri. Photo: Paul B. Goode.

Leopold’s innovative work with wigs and makeup earned him positions at the Metropolitan Opera House and later American Ballet Theatre. At ABT, under the direction of Mikhail Baryshnikov, he traveled extensively with the Company, including on the Baryshnikov & Co. tours. Leopold expertly honed his craft in beauty and character makeup, hairstyling, wigs, and prosthetics, blending artistry and technical skill to create stunning looks that captivated both audiences and performers. 

His career was distinguished by bringing to life many incredible productions and notable characters, including Carabosse in MacMillan’s The Sleeping Beauty and the Bronze Idol in La Bayadere. His work has been featured in books such as Ten Dancers and Private View: Inside Baryshnikov’s American Ballet Theatre. 

"Leopold was among the first people I met when I joined the company in August 1985. I arrived from London directly for a performance of Act 2 Bayadere at Wolftrap. He made me feel welcomed immediately with his joy and his smile. I was very nervous about my debut, but he made me laugh, teasing me about my British/Italian accent. We all loved him; he was one of us. "

- Alessandra Ferri

"Characters like Carabosse were very involved and took a lot of time, so I spent a lot of time in his chair. I always knew going into his room that he was going to be prepared. When I premiered a role, I was nervous, but he understood and knew exactly what to do. It was like he was taking care of his own family. He transformed us. He was a special and gifted artist, and when he passed stage makeup lost a star."

- Michael Owen

"He had the best smile, which made us feel confident and happy before the most terrifying of ballets. I don’t think I ever felt as glamorous as when he did my hair and makeup. He was an original and I am so fortunate that he passed through my life in ABT."

- Cynthia Harvey

Cheryl Yeager and Leopold Allen. Photo: Paul B. Goode.
Cheryl Yeager and Leopold Allen. Photo: Paul B. Goode.

American Ballet Theatre fondly remembers Leopold as a radiant light, always filled with joy, comfort, and positivity. He constantly lifted spirits with music and singing, filling rooms with laughter and making everyone in his chair feel ready to take the stage. 

A proud gay Black man, Leopold was gender nonconforming and undeniably himself from a young age. His life was tragically cut short by AIDS on October 27, 1989, but his legacy lives on in the dance, fashion, and performance worlds he helped shape, and in the lives of those he impacted. 

"The joy and comfort in Leopold’s makeup room was infectious. Even though I did my own makeup... I always went to Leopold for final touches. It was a ritual. It wasn’t about the powder or what he was doing but how he made me feel. I felt cared for... He was a magician."

- Cheryl Yeager

"My first few years at ABT, I spent most of my free hours at the theatre hanging out with Leopold. listening to his music and watching him work. He always made me feel welcome...his wonderful sense of humor and warm personality made his makeup room feel like home. When I had my first solo roles to perform (like in "Sleeping Beauty" and Clark Tippet's "Rigaudon"), he would "touch up" my makeup which always made me feel special and glamorous."

- Julie Kent

"He was a consummate professional and a wonderful artist. Most importantly, a caring and kind individual who loved his work. We loved sharing the creative process with him."

- Victor Barbee

Leopold Allen. Photo courtesy of Sharon Kyle.
Leopold Allen. Photo courtesy of Sharon Kyle.

At the start of the month, ABT dancers, staff, and faculty gathered with members of Leopold’s family to kick off Pride Month and honor this legacy by unveiling a photo of Leopold on the wall of ABT’s 890 Broadway studios where he can be remembered for years to come.

For more on Leopold’s personal impact on his family, please read the following LA Progressive article:

LA Progressive

"He loved to make people beautiful, but he also loved to make people believe they were beautiful."

- Sharon Kyle, Leopold's Niece

Photo: Emma Zordan.
Photo: Emma Zordan.

During ABT’s 2024 Summer season, please take a moment to visit our exhibit to honor Leopold Allen’s legacy at the vitrine in the South TV Lounge, near List Hall in the Metropolitan Opera House.

 

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