Aubrey Lynch II

Photo: Brian Thomas.

“To touch, to move, to inspire, this is the true gift of dance.” This quote, sprinkled all over the internet, captured many years ago, while still a student, is one Aubrey Lynch still lives by today. His wide-ranging career has taken him from Woodhaven Michigan and an unfinished University of Michigan Chemistry degree, through a deep understanding of music, theater, and visual design. As Dean of Students and Director of ABT Wellness and ABT RISE, Lynch works with the entire ABT organization, exemplifying that touching hearts, moving souls, and inspiring children and adults is the true gift of The Arts.

Before discovering his first language and love, ballet, at the Peg Harris School of Dance, Dancer’s Pointe, led by Phillip and Michelle Mills, and with Cecchetti teachers Lee Ann King and Jean Gloria Newell, he played the violin, clarinet, and flute until moving on to the richness of singing, theater, and visual design.  He was ultimately one of the last dancers hand-selected by Alvin Ailey and danced with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, after performing with Ailey II. During this time, he performed as a principal dancer with Barry Martin’s Déjà Vu Dance Theater and served as its associate artistic director. He was a guest performer with other companies including a tour with Virginia Johnson and dancers from Dance Theater of Harlem. He is also proud to have been an original company member of the now world-renowned and critically acclaimed Complexions Contemporary Ballet.

Lynch was chosen as an original cast member of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, Disney’s The Lion King. He acted as the production’s dance captain, dance supervisor, and ultimately as associate choreographer authoring the original dance manual that is still used by their creative team to remount the production today. Subsequently, as Associate Producer, Lynch mounted and maintained fourteen Lion King productions during its first ten years. He returned to The Lion King in 2017 to work closely with Tony Award-winning choreographer Garth Fagan and choreographed three new dances in the Broadway production. He assisted with the initial development of the first child adaptation of The Lion King. Now known as Disney Musicals in Schools’, The Lion King Experience KIDS/JR, he led their first workshops as well as piloted child adaptations of Frozen KIDS and Finding Nemo KIDS/JR.

As the former Dance Director and Chief Officer of Education and Creative Programs at Harlem School of the Arts, ABT’s National Training Curriculum had a huge impact on his work, codifying the HSA’s school-wide interdisciplinary curriculum. Furthering his conviction that children must see themselves onstage, he created The Harlemettes ®, a black and brown kick line. Radio City Rockettes provided Rockette Precision Technique classes and the Harlemettes ® participated in a pre-show performance at a Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Lynch has co-designed and co-led workshops and programs for the NYC Department of Education and mentored for YoungArts Week and Theater Development Fund’s Wendy Wasserman Project.

Having completed Cornell University’s prestigious eCornell DEI Certificate Program, as Dean of Students and Director of ABT Wellness and ABT RISE, Lynch encourages self-reflection and self-awareness as the first step towards a work culture of belonging and inclusivity. As there is a direct correlation between DEI and mental health, Lynch is also passionate about pointing all ABT employees towards mindfulness.

Lynch is an ABT Certified Teacher, who has completed the ABT Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 3 of the American Ballet Theater National Training Curriculum and is on ABT’s Artistic Advisory Board of Examiners. Passionate about ballet being more accessible and inclusive, Lynch is proudly on the Misty Copeland Foundation’s advisory council and an advocate for their BE BOLD program.

Most recently, Aubrey has launched, “Aubrey Lynch in Reflection,” an inspirational YouTube podcast inviting the world to live in love and light.