Our Story
Danseur Co. is dedicated to supporting boys and men in dance, giving them the space, community, and guidance to thrive. Being a guy in ballet can leave you feeling like an outsider at times. Finding role models, finding community, proper training, navigating a career, or just feeling like you belong are some challenges to being a guy in this world.
Danseur Co. was built to answer that. We are an education-driven creative company built on the belief that great artists are defined not just by how they perform, but by how they grow, connect, and live. Through targeted resources, special events, and honest conversations, we aim to help dancers become better artists and build meaningful lives through dance. While advocating for boys and men in dance, we are here to support dancers everywhere who pursue excellence without losing their humanity. For the sake of the art.
“For a long time growing up, I was the only boy in my studio. Being a male dancer comes with its own challenges like studio etiquette, a totally different technical skill set, and those god-forsaken dance belts. I never quite felt like I fit in, but I loved it, and I had no idea yet what a life in the arts could actually look like for someone like me. Ballet has carried me through my whole life, and I'm lucky I had people who believed in me along the way. That's why this work matters so much to me.”
Ryan Lenkey began dancing at nine years old after a single performance of Billy Elliot the Musical changed the course of his life. He trained at Pittsburgh Youth Ballet and Next Generation Ballet, with summer intensives at Boston Ballet, Ballet West, Manhattan Youth Ballet, The Rock School for Dance, and the School of American Ballet. After trainee positions with Boston Ballet and Ballet West, he spent two seasons with Ballet West II before joining State Street Ballet in 2021, where he continues to dance today, performing leading roles in Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, Scheherazade, The Nutcracker, and works by choreographers such as George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, along with guest engagements with English National Ballet at the Royal Albert Hall and Texture Contemporary Ballet.
Ryan's work to support male dancers has taken many forms over the years, including work as a marketing assistant with boysdancetoo. and Male Dancer Academy, and previously co-founding and serving as Associate Director of The Male Dance Connection, LLC, before choosing to pursue his vision independently. Shaped by years spent as one of the only boys in the room, he founded danseur.co in 2026 to create the resource and community he wishes he'd had.