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Alvin Ailey dancers find unexpected romance
Couple realized attraction after being roommates on the road
Michael McBride, left, and his fiance, Samuel Roberts. Both are dancers with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. (Photo by Christopher Duggan; courtesy the couple)
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Feb. 6-11
Kennedy Center
2700 F St., N.W.
$49-175
Michael McBride and his boyfriend Samuel Roberts were getting drinks at Locksmith, a local haunt near their New York City home, on an unassuming January day in 2016. While McBride was expecting a casual drink, he was shocked when Roberts suddenly jumped to his feet and began singing the Warblers rendition of “Teenage Dream” by Katy Perry from “Glee” joined by a group of their friends wearing matching Warbler uniforms.
For “Glee” fans the song marked the start of Kurt and Blaine’s relationship. As their friends and family flooded the tiny bar, McBride and Roberts would also kickstart a chapter of their own relationship.
Roberts got down on one knee and asked McBride, who had started crying, to marry him.
He said yes.
“I am the nosiest person that you will ever meet. The fact that I had not even a clue. I’m wearing mom jeans and a sweatshirt and I smelled like bleach. I had been cleaning my apartment all day,” McBride says.
The theatrical proposal shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. McBride, 29, and Roberts, 40, are both dancers in the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. They spend six months of the year performing in New York City and the other half touring all over the world.
The company stops by the Kennedy Center for a six-day residency Feb. 6-11 with McBride and Roberts performing separately and together. The couple will unite on stage for works including “The Golden Section,” “Stack Up” and “The Hunt.”
“It’s really fun when we get to connect and play off each other,” Roberts says.
From roommates, to friends, to lovers, the couple first met in 2009 when they both auditioned for the Alvin Ailey company, which they approximate as being 80 percent gay men, on the same day. They were also each hired by the company that day. McBride, a newbie to the professional dancing world, admits he doesn’t remember meeting Roberts that day. He was too overwhelmed with securing his contract.
However, his emotional response was exactly what caught Roberts’ eye, given he was a more seasoned professional dancer.
As a company rule, dancers were required to have roommates on tour. McBride and Roberts found themselves forced to be roommates as everyone else in the company was already paired up.
But they didn’t start out in sync. McBride says they were “operating on different schedules.” Roberts admits he “loved being with the locals” and was a fan of the nightlife. However, McBride was more into exploring cities in the daytime.
“Because I was new I would wake up very early and go see all the cities with my camera because I was just so excited to travel,” McBride says.
McBride says their relationship became more intimate in September 2010 while they were touring in the United Kingdom. A personal tragedy had rocked McBride leaving Roberts as an unexpected support system.
“It was shortly after my sister had passed. I was emotional and dealing with a lot of stuff with my family. There was one night when I really needed to just sit down and have dinner with somebody and not necessarily need to talk and just to be easy. He was in the room and so I said we’re going to dinner. I think that was the first time that either of us ever realized we had a lot more in common than either of us expected,” McBride says.
Both had become interested in dance at a young age on the outskirts of big cities.
Roberts, who is from Quakertown, Pa., a town in the suburbs of Philadelphia, went to a dance class with his cousin at 10 years old when a teacher spotted his enthusiasm.
“The teacher saw that I was fidgeting around in the back and she asked me, ‘Hey, why don’t you get up and join us?’ And I never sat down,” Roberts says.
Roberts continued to dance into high school and eventually made a good friend who he describes as his “surrogate mother” who would take him to auditions in New York City.
“She took me to the audition at Juilliard, which at the time I had no idea what it was, thankfully. I was able to just go in and do my thing. I made it in and I was so pleased,” Roberts says.
While at Juilliard, Roberts met Robert Battle, who would go on to become the artistic director of Alvin Ailey. Before joining Alvin Ailey, Roberts’ achievements included becoming a founding member of Battle’s dance company Battle Works in 2000.
McBride, who hails from Johnson City, N.Y., started dancing in a small dance studio at 8 years old. In high school he became more serious about dance and attended the Ailey dance program at Fordham University. He joined the company while a senior in college.
In addition to that dinner, McBride and Roberts would continue to share many memorable moments.
During their first year they encountered the D.C. blizzard in 2010. They recall getting stranded in their hotel for a week and the Kennedy Center canceling performances.
Despite the close quarters, their relationship didn’t become romantic until a couple years later.
After dating for a few years, the couple found themselves back in the United Kingdom on tour. They walked past a diamond shop and decided to look at rings together.
“We were just looking in the window and this woman came out and asked us if we’d like to look at some diamonds. We were like, ‘Eh.’ She was like, ‘We have Champagne’ and we were like ‘Absolutely.’ We went in and had some Champagne and we were looking at rings and to our surprise we found two rings we really adored,” Roberts says.
Soon after, Roberts found himself seriously considering proposing.
“I sort of woke up one morning and was like, ‘Wow, I really, really, really love Michael and I want to spend my life with him. There’s no reason for me to not do this. I can’t see one.’ I was so sure of it this one morning. So I said something to his father and realized I wanted to do a flash mob,” Roberts says.
McBride and Roberts admit they both had always gotten emotional watching flash mob proposals online.
It took Roberts a year of planning with friends and family to pull off the special moment in the bar. On the big day, Roberts asked McBride’s friend to take him out of the neighborhood for dinner while he finished the final preparations including a videographer who set up five cameras in the bar. McBride, who says the couple were also planning a road trip to Key West, Fla., that night with their dog, never expected that day he would get engaged.
Now, the couple has purchased an apartment together in the Bronx. Living and working together can be a challenge but the couple says they’ve been able to figure it out.
First, they recognize the importance of having their own space. Roberts says he first moved into McBride’s studio apartment and when they were looking for their own place together they had one request.
“We would live in hotels six months of the year and then be in his studio and the only room with a door was either a closet or a bathroom. When we were purchasing the apartment we had to have one room that is not a bathroom, not a closet,” Roberts says.
Second, they try to make their time off together as much of a vacation as possible.
“One thing that Sam has taught me, even if we have 12 hours off, to make that 12 hours a mini-vacation of sorts and really delve into being relaxed whenever we can in whatever city we’re in. That’s one of the things I fell in love with so much and so fast,” McBride says.
The couple says they take time to visit their families apart. The company now also has rotating single rooms while on tour. Sometimes they will get single rooms so that they can invite each other over for a romantic dinner.
As Valentine’s Day approaches, McBride and Roberts say they are big on the holiday. They will be spending it on tour in Atlanta and this time the planning is in McBride’s hands.
“It’s sort of been tradition that Michael will plan a day for me. It generally starts with a really wonderful breakfast and then some activities throughout the city,” Roberts says.
However, the wedding planning is taking more time. They expect to marry in fall 2019, possibly in the Catskill Mountains, but are working on saving money for the ceremony of their dreams.
As always, the couple plans to put their own special twist on the day.
“It’s also really fun because so many of the wedding traditions that we all know from throughout time are heterosexual entities. So a wedding can be whatever we want it to be. There’s no one to say, ‘Well, it should have been this or that.’ It’s a new frontier,” McBride says.
A performance of Talley Beattys’ ‘Stack-Up,’ one of three works in which partners Michael McBride and Samuel Roberts both perform. (Photo by Paul Kolnik; courtesy Alvin Ailey)
a&e features
Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
a&e features
Looking back at the 10 biggest A&E stories of 2025
‘Wicked,’ Lady Gaga’s new era, ‘Sexy’ Bailey and more
Although 2025 was a year marked by countless attacks on trans rights and political setbacks, the year also saw brilliant queer artists continuing to create art. From Cannes and Sundance Award winners now vying for Oscar consideration to pop icons entering new stages of their careers, queer people persevered to tell their stories through different media.
With the state of the world so uncertain, perhaps there’s no more vital time to celebrate our wins, as seen through some of this year’s top pop culture moments. While there’s no collection of 10 stories that fully encompass “the most important” news, here are some events that got the gays going:
10. ‘Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo’ wins big at Cannes
The Cannes Film Festival has become a crucial start for films hoping to make their way to the Oscars, and first-time director Diego Céspedes won the top Un Certain Regard prize for his intimate western “The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo.” The film is set in the ‘80s and is intended as an allegory for the AIDS epidemic. Seeing a film that unpacks vital queer history win one of the most coveted awards at Cannes has been a huge point of pride in the independent filmmaking community.
Since the film bowed at Cannes, it has been selected as Chile’s Oscar entry in the Best International Feature race. Speaking with The Blade during the film’s AFI Fest run in October, Céspedes said: At first, I was kind of scared to have this campaign position in the times that we’re living [in] here. But at the same time, I think the Oscars mean a huge platform — a huge platform for art and politics.”
9. ‘The Last of Us’ returns for an even gayer season 2
While the first season of The Last of Us gave us one of TV’s most heartbreaking queer love stories in the episode “Long, Long Time,” Season 2 doubled down on its commitment to queer storytelling with the blossoming relationship between Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Dina (Isabela Merced). The show expanded on the pair’s relationship in the original video game, making it perhaps the central dynamic to the entire season. That unfortunately came with more homophobic backlash on the internet, but those who checked out all the episodes saw a tender relationship form amid the show’s post-apocalyptic, often violent backdrop. For their performance, Ramsey was once again nominated for an Emmy, but Merced deserved just as much awards attention.
8. ‘Emilia Pérez’ sparks controversy
Jacques Audiard’s genre-bending trans musical “Emilia Pérez” proved to be an awards season juggernaut this time last year, winning the Golden Globe for Best Musical/Comedy. But when the lead star Karla Sofia Gascón’s racist, sexist, and homophobic old tweets resurfaced, the film’s Oscar campaign became a tough sell, especially after Netflix had tried so hard to sell Emilia Pérez as the “progressive” film to vote for. Mind you, the film had already received significant backlash from LGBTQ+ audiences and the Mexican community for its stereotypical and reductive portrayals, but the Gascón controversy made what was originally just social media backlash impossible to ignore. The only person who seemed to come out of the whole debacle unscathed was Zoe Saldaña, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress over Ariana Grande.
7. ‘Sorry, Baby’ establishes Eva Victor as major talent
Back in January at the Sundance Film Festival, Eva Victor (known by many for her brand of sketch comedy) premiered their directorial debut “Sorry, Baby” to rave reviews, even winning the Waldo Salt Screening Award. Victor shadowed Jane Schoenbrun on the set of “I Saw the TV Glow,” and seeing Victor come into their own and establish such a strong voice immediately made them one of independent cinema’s most exciting new voices. A memorable scene in the film sees the main character, Agnes (played by Victor), struggling to check a box for male or female, just one example of how naturally queerness is woven into the fabric of the story.
Most recently, Victor was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in the film, and she’s represented in a category alongside Jennifer Lawrence (“Die My Love”), Jessie Buckley (“Hamnet”), Julia Roberts (“After the Hunt”), Renate Reinsve (“Sentimental Value”) and Tessa Thompson (“Hedda”). The film also received four Independent Spirit Award nominations overall.
6. Paul Reubens comes out in posthumous doc
While Paul Reubens never publicly came out as gay before passing away in 2023, the two-part documentary “Pee-wee as Himself” premiered back in May on HBO Max, giving the legendary comedian a chance to posthumously open up to the world. Directed by Matt Wolf, the documentary explores how Reubens found his alter ego Pee-Wee Herman and why he kept his private life private.
The documentary won an Emmy in the Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special category and remains one of the most critically acclaimed titles of the year with a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score. Also worth noting, the National Geographic documentary Sally told the posthumous coming out story of Sally Ride through the help of her long-time partner, Tam O’Shaughnessy.
5. Lady Gaga releases ‘Mayhem’
Lady Gaga entered a new phase of her musical career with the release of Mayhem, her seventh album to date. From the frenzy-inducing pop hit Abracadabra to the memorable Bruno Mars duet featured on “Die With a Smile,” seeing Gaga return to her roots and make an album for the most die-hard of fans was especially rewarding after the underwhelming film releases of “House of Gucci” and “Joker: Folie à Deux.” Gaga has been touring with The Mayhem Ball since July, her first arena tour since 2018. She even extended her tour into 2026 with more North American dates, so the party isn’t stopping anytime soon. And Gaga is even set to make an appearance next May in “The Devil Wears Prada 2.”
4. Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande perform at the Oscars
While “Wicked: For Good” didn’t quite reach the heights of the first film, we will forever have Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s breathtaking live performance that opened the 97th Academy Awards. The pair sang a rendition of “Over the Rainbow,” “Home,” and “Defying Gravity,” paying proper homage to the original 1939 “Wizard of Oz.” Even non-Wicked fans can’t deny how magical and brilliantly staged this performance was. With both Erivo and Grande up for acting Oscars last year, they’re hoping to repeat success and make history with consecutive nominations. Either way, let’s hope there’s another live performance in the making, especially with two new original songs (The Girl in the Bubble and No Place Like Home) in the mix.
3. Indya Moore speaks out against Ryan Murphy
Indya Moore has consistently used social media as a platform for activism, and in September, posted a 30-minute Instagram live speaking out against “Pose” co-creator Ryan Murphy. Moore claimed that Murphy wasn’t being a true activist for trans people. “Ryan Murphy, we need you to do more. You need to address the racism, the violence, and the targeting of people on your productions, Ryan Murphy. You do need to make sure trans people are paid equally. Yes, Janet did the right thing,” Moore said. Murphy was also back in the headlines this year for the critically panned “All’s Fair” and the controversial “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” starring Laurie Metcalf and Charlie Hunnam.
2. Cole Escola wins Tony for Best Leading Actor
Few pop culture moments this year brought us together more than Cole Escola winning a Tony award for “Oh, Mary!” the Broadway show they created, wrote and starred in (we love a triple threat!) Escola made history by becoming the first nonbinary person to win a Tony in the leading actor category, and seeing them excitedly rush to the stage wearing a Bernadette Peters-inspired gown instantly became a viral social media moment.
The cherry on top of Escola’s major moment is the recent news that they are writing a Miss Piggy movie with Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone producing — news that also broke the internet for the better. We cannot wait!
1. Jonathan Bailey makes gay history as ‘Sexiest Man Alive’
The same year as his on-screen roles in blockbusters “Jurassic World Rebirth” and “Wicked: For Good,” Jonathan Bailey made history as the first openly gay man to be named People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive.” The fact that it took 40 years for an openly gay man to earn the title is a signifier of how far we still have to go with queer representation, and seeing Bailey celebrated is just one small step in the right direction.
“There’s so many people that want to do brilliant stuff who feel like they can’t,” he told PEOPLE, “and I know the LGBT sector is under immense threat at the moment. So it’s been amazing to meet people who have the expertise and see potential that I could have only dreamed of.” In 2024, Bailey founded the charity titled The Shameless Fund, which raises money for LGBTQ+ organizations.
a&e features
Your guide to D.C.’s queer New Year’s Eve parties
Ring in 2026 with drag, leather, Champagne, and more
With Christmas in the rear view mirror, we can turn our attention to ringing in a much-anticipated New Year with a slew of local LGBTQ parties. Here’s what’s on tap.
Pitchers
This spacious Adams Morgan bar is hosting the “Pitchers’ Perfect New Year’s Eve.” There will be a midnight Champagne toast, the ball drop on the big screens, and no cover, all night long. The bar doesn’t close until 4 a.m., and the kitchen will be open late (though not until close). All five floors will be open for the party, and party favors are promised.
Trade
D.C.’s hottest bar/club combo is leaning into the Shark motif with its NYE party, “Feeding Frenzy.” The party is a “glitterati-infused Naughty-cal New Year’s Even in the Shark Tank, where the boats are churning and the sharks are circling.” Trade also boasts no cover charge, with doors opening at 5 p.m. and the aforementioned Shark Tank opening at 9 p.m.. Four DJs will be spread across the two spaces; midnight hostess is played by Vagenesis and the two sea sirens sensuously calling are Anathema and Justin Williams.
Number Nine
While Trade will have two DJs as part of one party, Number Nine will host two separate parties, one on each floor. The first floor is classic Number Nine, a more casual-style event with the countdown on TVs and a Champagne midnight toast. There will be no cover and doors open at 5 p.m. Upstairs will be hosted by Capital Sapphics for its second annual NYE gathering. Tickets (about $50) include a midnight Champagne toast, curated drink menu, sapphic DJ set by Rijak, and tarot readings by Yooji.
Crush
Crush will kick off NYE with a free drag bingo at 8 p.m. for the early birds. Post-bingo, there will be a cover for the rest of the evening, featuring two DJs. The cover ($20 limited pre-sale that includes line skip until 11 p.m.; $25 at the door after 9 p.m.) includes one free N/A or Crush, a Champagne toast, and party favors (“the legal kind”). More details on Eventbrite.
Bunker
This subterranean lair is hosting a NYE party entitled “Frosted & Fur: Aspen After Dark New Year’s Eve Celebration.” Arriety from Rupaul Season 15 is set to host, with International DJ Alex Lo. Doors open at 9 p.m. and close at 3 p.m.; there is a midnight Champagne toast. Cover is $25, plus an optional $99 all-you-can-drink package.
District Eagle
This leather-focused bar is hosting “Bulge” for its NYE party. Each District Eagle floor will have its own music and vibe. Doors run from 7 p.m.-3 a.m. and cover is $15. There will be a Champagne toast at midnight, as well as drink specials during the event.
Kiki, Shakiki
Kiki and its new sister bar program Shakiki (in the old Shakers space) will have the same type of party on New Year’s Eve. Both bars open their doors at 5 p.m. and stay open until closing time. Both will offer a Champagne toast at midnight. At Kiki, DJ Vodkatrina will play; at Shakiki, it’ll be DJ Alex Love. Kiki keeps the party going on New Year’s Day, opening at 2 p.m., to celebrate Kiki’s fourth anniversary. There will be a drag show at 6 p.m. and an early 2000s dance party 4-8 p.m.
Spark
This bar and its new menu of alcoholic and twin N/A drinks will host a NYE party with music by DJ Emerald Fox. Given this menu, there will be a complimentary toast at midnight, guests can choose either sparkling wine with or without alcohol. No cover, but Spark is also offering optional wristbands at the door for $35 open bar 11 p.m.-1 a.m. (mid-shelf liquor & all NA drinks).
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