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Pride Month Spotlight: Four Dance Companies Advancing LGBTQ+ Representation
Pride Month is a time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and recognize the individuals and organizations creating positive change. In the dance world, many companies are helping expand representation, challenge traditional norms, and create more inclusive opportunities for artists. This Pride Month, Milwaukee Ballet is highlighting four dance organizations whose work is shaping a more welcoming future for ballet and contemporary dance.
MICHIYAYA Dance
Photo courtesy of MICHIYAYA Dance.
“[MICHIYAYA was created to] combine voices as artists and [use dance as] a space to heal, explore, and inspire” — Anya Clarke-Verdery and Mitsuko Clarke-Verdey, Co-Founders.
Founded by artists Anya Clarke-Verdery and Mitsuko Clarke-Verdey, MICHIYAYA Dance is a queer-led dance company that creates multidisciplinary performances centered on queerness, artistic exploration, and the divine feminine. Through performance, education, and community engagement, the company fosters inclusive spaces where artists from diverse backgrounds can express themselves authentically.
Their mission and values emphasize inclusivity and collaboration for artists, demonstrating how dance organizations can elevate LGBTQ+ voices both on and off stage.
Queer the Ballet
Photo courtesy of Queer the Ballet.
“Ballet needs to celebrate and amplify all of the unique voices which contribute to its beauty. The lack of meaningful queer visibility in our art form runs deeply, and my hope is that this initiative may create a new home in which all LGBTQ+ artists can feel seen and understood.” -— Adriana Pierce, Founder & Choreographer.
Choreographer Adriana Pierce created Queer the Ballet to reimagine what representation can look like in classical ballet. The organization creates new opportunities for artists by rethinking ballet partnering, choreography, and casting outside of traditional ballet conventions. Through innovative performances and advocacy, the company continues to expand visibility and representation for LGBTQ+ artists throughout the dance community.
By redefining who can be seen and celebrated on stage, Queer the Ballet is helping shape a more inclusive future for the art form.
Ballez
Photo courtesy of Ballez.
“Ballez is influencing ballet; changing it from the inside out.” — Kade Pyle, Founder & Choreographer.
Ballez is a New York-based company, founded in 2011 by choreographer Kade Pyle and dedicated to reenvisioning classical ballet through a queer and inclusive lens. The company challenges traditional narratives while creating space for a wider range of identities and experiences within ballet.
In uplifting who is represented on stage and how stories are told, Ballez demonstrates how ballet can continue to evolve while remaining a powerful form of artistic expression.
Ballet22
Photo courtesy of Ballet22.
“If we can offer a place where it’s safe for everyone to feel that they can be themselves and have great experiences, that’s what we want. The work will speak for itself.” — Roberto Vega Ortiz, Co-Founder (Pointe).
Through Ballet22’s original commissions and performances, the company reframes what is possible within the classical ballet landscape. Founded in 2020, Ballet22 moves beyond typical gender norms in creating opportunities for men, transgender, and nonbinary artists to perform en pointe.
By centering artists whose identities have been historically underrepresented in ballet, Ballet22 highlights how visibility and innovation can shape a more welcoming future for the art form.
As we celebrate Pride Month, Milwaukee Ballet honors the individuals and organizations whose courage, talent, and authenticity strengthen the arts and inspire a more inclusive creative community.