AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE HOSTS ANNUAL HOLIDAY BENEFIT
SPONSORED BY HARRY WINSTON, INC. AND
THE LLOYD E. RIGLER- LAWRENCE E. DEUTSCH FOUNDATION
Principal Dancers Stella Abrera, Misty Copeland, Gillian Murphy,
Cory Stearns and James Whiteside Lead Special One-Night-Only Performance
American Ballet Theatre (ABT) hosted its annual Holiday Benefit dinner and performance, December 5, 2016, at The Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills. The evening featured a one-night-only special performance by the world-renowned artists of American Ballet Theatre, including Principal Dancers Stella Abrera, Misty Copeland, Gillian Murphy, Cory Stearns and James Whiteside dancing scenes from the Company’s unrivaled repertoire, followed by a post-performance dinner and dessert with the dancers.
The evening was sponsored by Harry Winston and Lloyd E. Rigler – Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation. The event leaders and dancers sparkled and lit up the red carpet with spectacular Harry Winston Diamond Jewels. Co-Chairs included: Avery and Andy Barth, Michael Moser (Vice President Regional West Coast Retail, Harry Winston) and Sutton Stracke.
American Ballet Theatre Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie welcomed guests and noted “As America’s National Ballet Company, we welcome the opportunity to bring dance to the country and American dance to the world. We especially look forward to our return to Los Angeles and Southern California where we are so warmly received. This year’s Holiday Benefit will continue to support our work and ABT’s ongoing educational programs.”
The Holiday Benefit performance included excerpts from choreographer Benjamin Millepied’s Daphnis and Chloe, Alexei Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty and Whipped Cream and scenes from ballet’s most treasured classics like Romeo and Juliet and Don Quixote. Demonstrating the versatility and strength of the Company, the program also included contemporary repertoire by choreographer Jessica Lang and ABT Principal Dancer Jeffrey Cirio.
At the conclusion of the performance, American Ballet Theatre Executive Director Kara Medoff Barnett thanked the dancers and guests and acknowledged “We are so proud to continue and expand our commitment to the Los Angeles area. Our offices and rehearsal studios may be in New York City, but Southern California is our second home.”
The Holiday Benefit previewed American Ballet Theatre’s upcoming performance engagements in Southern California. ABT will present its annual engagement of Alexei Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, featuring California students from ABT’s William J. Gillespie School at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, with performances running December 9-18, 2016. On March 15, 2017, ABT will present the World Premiere of Ratmansky’s Whipped Cream, a new full-length production set to a score by Richard Strauss, with sets and costumes by Los Angeles-based artist Mark Ryden. Whipped Cream will be given seven performances at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts through March 19, 2017.
American Ballet Theatre has been home to many of ballet’s legendary stars – Mikhail Baryshnikov, Natalia Makarova, Carla Fracci, Cynthia Gregory, Alicia Alonso, and Fernando Bujones – and is renowned for its lavish productions of full-length ballets including Swan Lake, Giselle, La Bayadère, and Romeo and Juliet. With a Company of 90 of the world’s most celebrated dancers, ABT performs for audiences of more than 300,000 each year in New York City, Southern California, across the United States, and around the world. For more information, please visit www.abt.org.
