For the 2022 holiday season, Avenue insiders share their picks for what their planning to give (and receive). Click here to find more of curated gift guides from our favorite personalities.
American Ballet Theater principal dancer Calvin Royal III has pretty simple holiday traditions: they must include good music, and better food. “Growing up, grandma spearheaded the holiday meals and taught us recipes passed down from her grandmother,” he explains.
The Florida native and his husband, pianist Jacek Mysinski, typically split their time between Royal’s family in the Tampa Bay area, and with Mysinski’s extended family on Lake Tahoe. But since the pandemic, the duo have been in New York bound. They’ve found ways to make the most of it. “We host Friendsgiving and invite friends to bring recipes from their home countries… It makes me feel closer to home.”
This year, Royal is getting into the Christmas spirit (and bringing his family together) by preforming in a classic: ABT’s production of The Nutcracker at The Segerstrom Center for the Arts. “The Nutcracker is a magical show for the holidays,” he tells Avenue. “Every performance is a gift we give to families and kids who come to see the show, and I want to make sure my mom and my sister will be there for my debut as the Prince!”
See Royal’s gift picks for the season, below.
Photo by Jennie Clavel, via Unsplash
Photo by Nihal Demirci Erenay, via Unsplash“I love teaching and mentoring the youth and want to extend a private ballet class with me in NYC (or virtually) for a group of young aspiring dancers,” says Royal.
Photo by Max Tutak, via Unsplash
