On Wednesday night, American Ballet Theatre kicked off its fall season at its annual fall gala. The program celebrated the ABT Women’s Movement, an institutional initiative committed to the creation, exploration, and staging of new works by female choreographers.
“ABT has always been amazing about giving women choreographers opportunties, and a year and a half ago we decided that we’d be commissioing three new works by women choreographers every season,” said ABT trustee Sarah Arison, who was honored that night.
The evening featured a world premiere by tap dancer and choreographer Michelle Dorrance, Le Jeune, choreographed by Lauren Lovette and performed by the ABT Studio Company, and Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room.
“Tonight’s program is an amazing example where [guests] expect dancers in tutus, and they instead get this vibrant and fun [program],” said Arison. “They realize that ABT is so varied and deep.”
Caroline Kennedy served as honorary chair for the evening, stepping on stage to introduce the program and talk about its significance to her, and to her late mother. Jody Gottfried Arnhold, Emily Blavatnik, Agnes Gund, Jenna Segal and Sutton Stracke served as benefit chairs. Co-chairs included Linda Allard, Amy Astley, Avery and Andrew Barth, BNY Mellon, Hamish Bowles, Malcolm Carfrae, Lisa and Dick Cashin, Anh Duong, Katherine Farley and Jerry I. Speyer, Susan and Leonard Feinstein, Mr. and Mrs. Austin T. Fragomen, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Brian J. Heidtke, Lillian E. Kraemer, Elizabeth and Reynold Levy, Kara Moore, Net- a-Porter, Karen C. Phillips, Melissa A. Smith, Stewart R. Smith and Robin A. Ferracone, Beth Chartoff Spector and Jason Spector, Monica B. Voldstad and Thomas Wilhelm. Serving as Junior Committee Chairs were Olivia Palermo and Johannes Huebl.
Additional notable attendees included actress Jennifer Tilly, fashion designers Tory Burch and Wes Gordon, television journalist Diane Sawyer, ballerina Misty Copeland, Allison Sarofim, theater producer Jordan Roth, Carlos Souza, Amy Astley, Hamish Bowles and artist Anh Duong.
