Every artist remembers the instant when a pastime turns into a vocation — an aha moment that reframes ambition as calling. For three performers photographed together for this feature, that shift came at different stages but led to the same resolve: to keep creating, performing, and lifting others up. Across interviews and portraits, they narrate the early sparks that pushed them into professional dance and theater, and they connect those personal histories to the meaning they find in Pride now.
The session took place at Playhouse Bar and the images and words collected here are a portrait of intention: bodies trained for stagecraft, personalities shaped by mentorship, and voices committed to visibility. Each subject brings distinct memories — a TV show that inspired a child to move nonstop, a late-night musical that opened a world, a student matinee that reflected a young dancer back to them — and each has translated that memory into ongoing public work around representation and mutual support.
Early inspirations: where the path began
Aydin traces his start to the living room ritual of watching So You Think You Can Dance with his parents when he was very young. What began as mimicry became a sustained pursuit once his mother enrolled him and his brother in formal classes. While his brother stopped after a year, Aydin persisted and never looked back — a childhood pastime that matured into professional focus. Héctor remembers a different trigger: catching the energetic staging of Legally Blonde on MTV, unaware at the time that Jerry Mitchell, founder of Broadway Bares, had shaped that production. That very director would later cast him in his first Broadway run on On Your Feet!, closing the loop between inspiration and opportunity. Chris points to a formative student matinee by Alvin Ailey, the first time he saw himself represented performing classical technique; that reflection convinced him to pursue dance as a career, and two decades later he remains onstage.
What Pride signifies today
For these artists, Pride has layered meanings: celebration, reckoning, and obligation. Aydin describes Pride primarily as community — a time to gather, notice one another, and offer mutual support across varied struggles. Héctor emphasizes memory and responsibility: the festivities are a means to honor the people who created space before them and to ease the path for future generations. Chris admits he once found the city-wide intensity of Pride overwhelming, but through his work with the Bares family he reframed the event as a chance to give back directly to those who remain marginalized. In that shift, Pride becomes both party and public service.
Visibility and social platforms
In the social media era, a personal post can translate into cultural lifelines. Aydin uses his channels year-round to speak plainly about being gay and to model confidence — literally and figuratively — by sharing images that pair aesthetics with message. He notes how an eight-year-old in a small town might not understand every label but will recognize when role models demonstrate pride in themselves. That kind of visibility functions as informal education: a daily curriculum of belonging for those who lack direct representation in their communities.
Giving back through performance
Performance offers these artists a practical way to support community: Chris describes participating in productions and benefits as an on-the-ground method of advocacy, a way to funnel attention and resources to causes that matter. Héctor and Aydin echo that sentiment, describing how stage work and social presence combine to make their advocacy tangible. Whether through choreographed pieces that center queer bodies or public appearances that reinforce dignity, they see their work as a bridge between celebration and sustained activism — a reminder that festivals are moments within an ongoing movement.
Credits, collaboration, and publication details
This piece pairs portraits and conversation to highlight how individual histories inform public purpose. The talent featured are Aydin Eyikan, Chris Patterson-Rosso, and Héctor Juan Maisonet. The photographer is Matt Monath, supported by digital tech Matthew James Ortiz and lighting tech Sequoyah Wildwyn-Dechter. Creative direction came from Mikey Lombardo, with styling by Martin Gregory Jerez and assistant Lam Ngo, grooming and makeup by Angel Gabriel, and videography by Stuart Sox. The images were made at Playhouse Bar. This article appears as part of Out magazine’s May-June 2026 print issue; the issue hits newsstands on May 26 and features Marco Calvani and Colman Domingo on the cover. Readers are encouraged to support queer media by subscribing or downloading the issue via Apple News+, Zinio, Nook, or PressReader.
