The American Ballet Theatre's annual Spring Gala drew a glamorous crowd to Lincoln Center's Metropolitan Opera House last night, with Uma Thurman, Rachel Roy, and Chanel Iman making the rounds. The bash, sponsored by Dior, kicked off ABT's new season with a special performance featuring selections from the company's spring programming. America's Next Top Model judge and ABT regular Nigel Barker (on hand with wife Cristen) dubbed it "the sampler of everything they have on offer. We see this as a menu, and then we come back!"
On Monday night's menu? Selections from Le Corsaire, Sleeping Beauty, and two world premieres. While all in attendance professed a love of ballet, some were more intimately acquainted with it than others. Lucy Liu studied jazz, "but that was about it. I think I must have been 10—soon enough to know that I was uncoordinated early on in my life!" Coco Rocha's brief fling with ballet was trumped by years of Irish step dancing. "But I get really excited when I get invited to this," she told Style.com, "and this year, when they asked if I'd be on the honorary committee—I just felt so smart!"
Post-performance, guests adjourned to the tent to compare notes on preferred plies while enjoying martinis, dinner, and dancing. All told, the evening raised an impressive $1,750,000. As longtime patron Sigourney Weaver put it, "It's never really spring in New York until ABT takes the stage."
— Kristin Anderson
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