The whirlwind ballet showcase went as follows: Devon Teuscher and Thomas Forster in the Sleeping Beauty pas de deux. Cassandra Trenary and Calvin Royal III in the Romeo and Juliet balcony pas de deux. A pas de deux from Kevin McKenzie’s production of Swan Lake, with Christine Shevchenko and James Whiteside. Skylar Brandt and Joo Won Ahn in a pas de deux from The Leaves Are Fading. Isabella Boylston and Aran Bell in Danzón No. 2. Hee Seo and Cory Stearns in a pas de deux from Concerto. The Don Quixote pas de deux with Catherine Hurlin and Daniel Camargo. And Gillian Murphy, Joo Won Ahn, and Herman Cornejo in an excerpt from Études.
Artistic Director of the American Ballet Theatre Susan Jaffe set the stage for the evening, saying, “We are thrilled to be back here at the Koch Theater for another exciting season. ABT’s mighty legacy ensures that we train students who can dance anywhere in the world.”
Proceedings began at 6:30pm with a prompt curtain call and a black-tie dress code. In the audience were Mick Jagger and Melanie Hamrick, Annette Bening, Ivy Getty, Jordan Roth, Molly Ringwald, Amy Astley, Malcolm Carfrae, Anh Duong, and more. Unsurprisingly, there was also a heavy fashion contingent, with designer Zac Posen (who was presented with a special dessert to mark his birthday), Brandon Maxwell, Jonathan Cohen, and Markarian’s Alexandra O’Neill all in attendance as well.
Party-goers migrated to the theater’s promenade for a meal of poached salmon and pumpkin bisques. Then, it was time for another round of dancing—only now, everyone joined in. Though he had dazzled in his performance in Romeo and Juliet, Calvin Royal III wasn’t done moving. He could be seen on the dance floor spinning Couric around in her floral Marchesa ball gown, the absolutely perfect way to end a night at the ballet.