My relationship and connection to music is the reason I dance,” says Primo, a 27-year-old dancer and performer who just wrapped up his run as Tumblebrutus in Cats: The Jellicle Ball, at the Perelman Performing Arts Center in New York City. Although he didn’t begin his dance training in earnest until age 14, a childhood immersed in musical theater and church services punctuated with gospel music equipped Primo with a refined sense of musicality.

Maievskyi’s dancing is polished yet relaxed (something he attributes to a background in ballroom dance), and imbued with innate charisma. And while he’s still settling into his new life in London, his passion for ballet remains ablaze. “I often ask myself why I do this, and the answer is simple: I just love it,” he says.

In the summer of 2021, Hayoung Roh auditioned for the Knicks City Dancers on a whim—and made the cut. After a year with that team, she transitioned to the Brooklynettes Dancers, the official dance team for the Brooklyn Nets. She’s now in her second season dancing with Brooklynettes, and her first as co-captain.

“In this industry, people often chase something because it’s the thing to do,” says Tilly Evans-Krueger, “but I chase authenticity, so I can book the jobs that will help me grow into the artist I truly want to be.” This approach has landed Evans-Krueger roles in a slew of standout Broadway, off-Broadway, and dance productions, including Moulin Rouge!, The Lucky Ones, and the premiere of Justin Peck and Jackie Sibblies Drury’s Illinoise at the Fisher Center at Bard. Earlier this year, she was the movement coordinator for the new off-Broadway play Jonah.

With her elongated limbs and polished port de bras, Clark is a remarkably self-possessed dancer who uses her 5′ 10 1/2″ frame to fully inhabit every choreographic moment and musical note. She debuted in a slew of roles in 2023, including the Tall Girl in George Balanchine’s “Rubies” and the lead woman in Haieff Divertimento, which hadn’t been performed by NYCB since 1994.

In 2018, after Gianna Theodore saw A.I.M by Kyle Abraham perform at The Joyce Theater, everything snapped into perspective. “I called my mom and said, ‘I have to dance for this company,’ ” she remembers.

Naturally drawn to dance from a young age, Harper Watters also sought out a sense of community throughout his training. The only boy enrolled at his local studio in New Hampshire, Watters eventually enrolled at Walnut Hill School for the Arts, which brought him to a life-changing audition for Houston Ballet’s summer intensive at the age of 15.

New York City native SarahAnne Perel spent 10 years at the School of American Ballet before securing a corps contract with Los Angeles Ballet and moving cross-country to pursue her longtime dream of dancing professionally. But Perel had other dreams, too. After her second season with LAB, she enrolled at Duke University